Trinity
by Idareu2loveme
Summary: “No this is really a long story” said Peter, spilling out words he really shouldn’t be saying, because he had to tell someone “I can’t tell you a lot of it but it involves a 16 year old secret, a kidnapping, and a virgin birth. Now Complete!
1. Prolog

Author's Note: Hi there! This is my first fanfic in a really long time so I'm excited and a little apprehensive about how it will be received. This is just an idea I had a long time ago and it seems like it would fit so well with the totally inappropriate chemistry that Peter and Claire have. I know the prolog is kind of short and pretty vague but I promise this story is going places. I have the whole things mapped out and it should be about 10 fairly good sized chapters when it's done. Also I only recently became a big Heroes fan so if I get something wrong, please forgive me.

I really hope you like it! There are some things you need to know before reading though: This is an attentive season 2 fic and I'm not going to explain everything that happened after HTSAEM in my universe so here is some info about the timeline:

Peter just sort of came back after the events of HTSAEM, no amnesia

So did Nathan, and he's fine and currently in Congress

Claire is living in New York with her bio-family

Most of the Heroes are also living in New York and they all have some level of contact

The events of this story _really_ begin to take off about 3 months after HTSAEM

**Trinity**

**Prolog**

The Petrelli family had been Roman Catholic for time out of mind. They went to mass, attended catholic schools, gave confession-the whole nine yards. It was part of their image, part and parcel with the huge, lavish, mansion, the money, and the mafia connections. While the current generation may not be very religious (Peter was too empathetic to believe in anything that was so judgmental of so many people and Nathan played along for politics but as a politician had a hard time believing in anything) they had been raised to respect (and fear) God and his church.

So when the priest asked him what he had to confess, in the little, dimly lit box that smelled of cedar wood and incense, Peter had a hard time not just spilling out the whole crazy story, even though he knew if he did the priest would probably have him committed, for any number of reasons.

"It's a really long story…" he said, squirming in the confessional, running his hand through the space where his bangs used to be, which Claire had informed him just the other day he did whenever he was nervous.

Don't think about her _here_ his brain, that good, Catholic school going, self-sacrificing hospice nurse, nice _normal, _part of his brain said.

"It normally is" said the priest, his voice oozing that….priestly quality they all had, that ever since Peter was a kid had made him feel simultaneously that the priest understood and had compassion for what he had done, and was judging him at the same time. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea.

"No this is really a long story" said Peter, spilling out words he really shouldn't be saying, because he had to tell someone "I can't tell you a lot of it but it involves a 16 year old secret, a kidnapping, and a virgin birth. I _could_ tell you all of it but I doubt you'd believe me."

From the other side of the grid came a heavy sigh, and then the screen was pulled back, exposing the priests face. Peter was suddenly; profoundly grateful he had not gone to his family's church.

"Look son" said the priest, "I don't appreciate people making fun of the church. Confession is a sacrament and if you aren't going to take it seriously you should just leave."

Feeling guilty and ashamed of himself, like he had the time he and Sheryl McKean had been caught making out in the confessional in tenth grade (the first time he had gotten to second base and the church janitor had witnessed it) Peter nodded, apologized and slid out of the confessional, refraining from listening to the priest thoughts to hear what he really thought of him. Leaving the Church Peter started the long walk home in the December chill, looking absentmindedly at the lights that had put up everywhere to celebrate the birth of Jesus. _Probably the only __**other**__ virgin birth in history,_ he thought. He was heading to the mansion, where it seemed he was always heading these days and even though it would be faster to take a cab (or fly if he could find a spot where no one would see him take off) he could use the thinking time walking would give him. Everything had gotten so complicated-and weird-lately…

* * *

It had been at the beginning of September when it happened. Six hours after the events of Kirby Plaza, when Peter and Nathan finally found their way, singed and disoriented, home it seemed like everything had changed. There were so many people with powers now, all kinds of powers who had all come together that terrible night to watch Peter explode. It was, as he had said so many times, destiny. Everyone who knew him was thoroughly sick of the word by now. 

Peter refused to talk to his mother, and spent a lot of time in his apartment, watching TV and marveling at the indisputable fact that he was alive. Claire often sat with him, happy just to watch old Scooby-Do cartoons with Sunny and Cheir, that most of the time she would think were _soooo_ lame, because Peter was alive. He had exploded and he was alive. It was a miracle, a genuine gift from God, and she had been the medium of that gift. It made her feel larger than life, and like they were even more connected now. He had saved her life, had jumped off a building actually thinking he would die for her, and then she had saved his, and now…now she had done it again but it was bigger this time. She knew he could read minds now, and even though she knew he never would read a mind of someone he knew on purpose (it was rude, and Peter was anything but) it felt like he was inside of her now (no, not like that though she had had a few thoughts in that direction which were quickly banished to that realm where lost socks and money goes and never returns from) but like they were the same person or something. And even though they never talked about it, never talked about anything to do with exploding, or what had happened to him after, she knew he felt the same way.

It also made her want to be around Peter. So when her father said it was time for them to go home, she suggested to him that she spend some time with her bio-family. Her father seemed more disappointed than mad, and she could tell he was wondering why she wanted to spend any time with them. Her Bio-grandma had been willing to let her own son die, and so had her bio-Dad (ok he did change his mind.) Yes Peter, her uncle, was generally considered by Claire to be the best thing since sliced bread (voicing this sentiment had earned him a well deserved "_Dad! _and a pillow to the head") but these were not nice people, he had said, not the kind of people who should spend any time raising his Claire-bear. Visiting, sure, maybe but not _raising. _That was his job.

But Claire got Nathan involved and since he told Heidi about Claire and was surprised by her statement that she had always wanted a daughter and when he saw how well it would play in the media to have Claire living with him (long lost daughter being embraced into the bosom of the family) he came around to Claire's point of view. He and Claire's adoptive father had a fight where each was very polite and displayed similar shark-like fake smiles that really said, "I want to kill you" and finally, because now that Claire was 16 she could legally choose where she wanted to live, Nathan won.

Peter hadn't known about the fight at all. He was surprised when it was announced Claire was staying because she hadn't even told him she wanted to, so even though he was a little concerned for her family and what this would do to them, she had such happiness shining out of her eyes and gave him such a big hug and squealed about all the things in New York he just had to show her and it had made him laugh for the first time since he exploded and he realized he felt happier than he had since….well since he first dreamt he could fly he guessed. He was going to show Claire (his _niece_ his brain added, which it did every time he thought about this newly acquired relative) around his favorite city and it was so normal that it made him smile. Ever since he became so special that he almost killed millions of people Peter had outgrown his need for recognition.

Claire had barely had a chance to get settled in to her new private, catholic, all girl's school (yes with uniforms and all) when it happened.

Peter still didn't really understand how they had been taken. He had picked Claire up after school (he was in the neighborhood after a visit with Mohinder), they were walking intohis apartment, getting something to eat and Peter felt something hit the back of his head and then suddenly….

He didn't know. Whoever it was that grabbed them did a good job and knew what, and who, they were dealing with. Later it was hypothesized that spikes had been shoved intohis and Claire's brain, in that spot, that sweet spot that kept them from regenerating until it was pulled out. Then he guessed they were drugged, because he remembered anawfully hazy hour or two with Claire in a completely white, padded room, and a speech he gave to even more drugged Claire about a salt shaker who was in love with a greatDane (but a Dane as in Danish, not the dog.) He was still giving this speech when Nathan had burst in, at the head of the rest of the "Heroes" in a rescue mission, which seemed tobe unnecessary because there was no one else in the warehouse the aforementioned white room was in. All told they had been kidnapped for less than five hours and left, druggedand alone, someplace in Queens. No big deal really, except Claire seemed a little freaked out by Queens.

Only it was a big deal, a really, really big deal.

To be continued...

* * *

Ok, so like it, hate it, wonder what's going to happen next? I need reviews to tel me if I should even continue with it, so review please! The faster I get affirmation that it's worth writing the faster I will write…. 


	2. Chapter 1

Author's note: I just want to thank all the lovely people who reviewed my story-thanks you guys you made me feel like this worth writing, so I shall keep writing it. Also I wanted to say I know my perspective kind of swings around with no real pattern or reason and that might be a little annoying but it's just how I write. And in case you haddn't noticed, _thoughts_ are in italics. On to the fic!

**Trinity**

**Chapter one**

After the kidnapping Nathan got paranoid about Claire being out of his site. They fought about it, huge, screaming fights that would send everyone in their vicinity running for cover. Claire discovered that being indestructible was apparently no longer enough, and after some heartfelt, genuine emotional displays on Nathan's part had agreed to take a car to and from school and let her bio-dad know where she was at a times.

"So these are the rules" Nathan said, dictating to Claire as she sipped her orange juice before school, exactly one week after the kidnapping, "you take the car, which I have upgraded to have bullet proof windows and sides, to and from school. After school you get directly into the car and come home-no going to Peters' and..."

"What!" Claire burst in, slamming her juice down on the table so it spilled, anger shooting out of her eyes, "why can't I go to Peters'? It's not like _he's_ going to hurt me!"

"Why would I hurt Claire?" Peter walked in, looking quizzical, dropped his coat onto a chair and grabbed Claire's unfinished orange juice.

"Arg!" Nathan growled, throwing his arms in the air and stomping on the floor. "You wouldn't hurt Claire, you wouldn't hurt a bug, but your apartment is where the two of you got attacked. In fact I think you should move."

"Ah." Claire said.

"I'm not moving!" Peter said, downing the orange juice in one swallow and grabbing a muffin, "I like my place. Its rent controlled and I'll never get anything that nice for that price if I leave."

"Peter" Nathan said, talking slowly like he was explaining something to a mentally deficient person, "whoever_ kidnapped_ you and my daughter last week knows where you live and was waiting for you when you got home. You can't stay there; it's not safe."

"Man, Nathan!" Peter said, standing up and trying to scrunch his hands up in his nonexistent long hair, "whoever it was who took us didn't even keep us, or try to keep us. I doubt that they're a real threat."

"Yeah" Claire said, standing up and grabbing her backpack, "It was like the lamest kidnapping in the history of the world."

"Lame!" Nathan roared, "I don't care if it was lame. You two where _kidnapped,_ had something shoved into your brains, were drugged and taken against your will to some warehouse in Queens! It may have escaped your notice that this is not a good thing! Someone wanted you, for what reason I don't know, but they did want you for something and until this situation is resolved you will both do what I say for your own safety!"

Peter and Claire stared at Nathan, both of them fascinated by the throbbing vein in his forehead.

Peter turned to Claire. "He makes a good point" he said.

"Of course he does" Angela Petrelli's voice preceded her into the kitchen, "you should both do as he says."

At the sight of his mother Peter's face clouded over. Claire was watching his face anxiously and grabbed his hand and started to pull him towards the door. "C'mon Peter" she said, "you can drive with me to school."

"Ok" Peter said, talking as if he had come out of a trance. They headed towards the door and just before they went out into the September sunshine he turned back, "I will move in for a while Nathan" he shouted back to the kitchen. While he was talking Angela walked into the entryway, "But Mom" he said, his voice getting very quite and completely emotionless, "don't think for a second I'm doing this because you want me too."

As they went out the door Claire and Peter could hear Nathan's frustrated voice, "But there are more rules!"

* * *

In the car Claire bit her lip as she watched Peter as he sat with his arms folded tightly in his lap, gazing into space through the new bullet proof windows. Even though with traffic the ride to Claire's school took over ten minutes he didn't say a single word or move an inch.

"St. Mary's academy Ms. Petrelli." the driver's voice broke through her anxious thoughts.

"It's Bennett" she said absentmindedly, still staring at Peter. Outside the car she could hear the bell for first period ringing. Sighing she slid her legs out the car door, stalled for a moment thinking and then turned around and ducked her head back into the car.

"Hey Peter" she said, invoking no response, "Peter!"

Like a man waking from a coma Peter snapped into reality and turned towards Claire. "Oh" he said, "have a nice day Claire."

"No" Claire said, sliding back into the car, "I'm not going to school today." She could literally see the words of protest forming behind Peter's lips (the thought that they were _nice_ lips was quickly banished, erased as though it never existed) and interrupted him before he could voice his objection. "We're going to play hooky."

A slight smile appeared on Peter's face, barely reaching his eyes. Under the edge of her skirt Claire crossed her fingers. She wiggled her eyebrows in what she hopped was an amusing invitation but probably looked more like she was having a seizure. Claire had never really learned much eyebrow control.

Luckily her eyebrow acrobatics made Peter laugh. "Ok" he said, "Nathan will be really pissed but ok."

Claire beamed at him and Peter beamed back.

"We need to ditch the car" she said, "and make sure Nathan doesn't think we were kidnapped again."

"I have an idea" Peter said as they got out of the car. All around them teenage girls in identical uniforms (little plaid skirts and all) where heading into school. "Give me your phone."

Claire handed over her sidekick and watched as Peter called the school and informed them that Claire had the stomach flu while Claire did a silent cheer for encouragement. Luckily Peter hung up the phone before he laughed and blew the whole thing.

"All right" he said, tossing back the sidekick, "what do you wanna do?"

This time she got the eyebrow expression right.

* * *

Peter stared with dismay at the glass front doors, dreading going inside them. A glance at Claire's face told him that that she was intent upon going…shopping.

"Do we have too? He asked, hoping against hope that he could dissuade a 16 year old former cheerleader from a trip to Macy's.

Claire laughed. "Relax Peter. I just need something else to wear so I'm not stuck in this uniform all day, and we can't go home because Heidi's there. This will take like ten minutes tops."

"Oh that's good" Peter said as he followed Claire in to the store and they began to weave in and out of departments. Claire was right, she knew what she wanted and it only took her a few minutes to find it.

"I just need to try this on." She said, heading into the changing room with a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, "just wait here."

Peter did wait, feeling unbelievably awkward standing in the midst of mini-skirts and skimpy see-through t-shirts. Trying not to stare at the clothes like he was an old, shocked man at what today's youth was wearing he didn't notice the saleswomen slide up next to him.

"Aren't you a little old to be shopping in juniors?" he turned, a little startled to see someone had gotten so close without him noticing. But this woman didn't seem to be a potential kidnapper; she looked like a totally normal, though fairly beautiful young women, dressed in the department store uniform. _Not a threat_ his brain said.

He laughed. "I'm also the wrong gender to be in the women's department but here I am." he said, flirting just slightly. It had been a long time since Simone after all.

The saleswomen-Laura her tag said-laughed, showing off bright white teeth and a long tanned neck and tossed her brown hair. Clearly flirting back.

Claire frowned from the changing room door, watching the woman and Peter interact. _This is our day_ she thought, and tried not to think about why it upset her that someone else (_some other woman_ whispered that part of her brain) could make him laugh so easily. She walked over and tapped Peter on the shoulder, putting on her biggest, brightest smile.

"I'm ready to go" she said, letting her fingers linger possessively on Peter's shoulder. He didn't seem to notice but the woman sent her a little glare. Then like a switch went off he jumped a little and turned towards Claire. She noticed the brief flicker of something-was it fear?-on his face before it returned to normal.

"Ok" Peter said, handing Claire his credit card, "why don't you go pay for that and then we can get out of here."

Claire took the card and sent a bitchy little smile toward Laura and sauntered off, swinging her hips a little. Peter noticed and turned quickly back to Laura-who was frowning a little.

"She seems a little young for you" she said, the frown turning into a blank face, "not that I'm judging."

Peter (who had never understood what it meant when someone blanched) blanched. "Oh no" he said, his face turning bright red as he looked between Claire, who at the checkout stand gave him a smile and a little wave, and Laura who was giving him that look women gave when they vaguely amused by the behavior of stupid men. "Claire's just, I mean, she's my…"

"It's ok" Laura said, turning so she was half facing Peter and adjusting some lace shirts, "I can see the way she looks at you."

Peter literally felt his heart stop. "How does she look at me?" he asked.

"Oh you know the look" Laura said, "the _possessive _kind."

Peter's heart started up again. He laughed, "No, she's my niece, and today we're kind of running away from the family. I think she was just pissed because I was talking to someone else."

"Oh" Laura said, laughing with relief. "That makes much more sense, I mean, she's so young and…"

"Yeah" Peter said, smiling at Laura in a new way. It had been a long time since Simone indeed.

"All ready!" Claire said, appearing by Peter's shoulder.

"Ok" Peter said, smiling at her, to Laura, "It was nice to meet you Laura."

"You too" the saleswoman said, holding out her hand for a shake, "what's your name by the way?"

By this time Claire was already pulling Peter out the door so he had to turn to answer her: "Peter Petrelli" he half-shouted, but he was gone before he saw Laura's victorious smile.

* * *

It turned out that all Claire wanted to do was go to Central Park-Peter had been worrying about bunjy jumping off the Brooklyn bridge (without a cord knowing Claire), or standing in front of a subway, or something equally stupid and dangerous to test her regeneration skills.

But no, it was just a walk in central park and a couple of ice cream cones.

"So" Claire said, absent-mindedly munching down the bottom of her cone, "you seemed to like that woman in the store."

"Ah yes" said Peter, tossing a ball of sticky ice cream covered napkins into a trash can, "she was nice. She also thought you were my girlfriend."

Peter watched as Claire turned an interesting shade of red. He was very, very tempted to listen in on her thoughts and fought the heroic battle not to do so. Then it occurred to him that she might not just be embarrassed but….

The circumstances of their meeting where certainly not orthodox. Generally speaking as her uncle (somehow whenever he thought that word in a way that was not associated with Simon or Monty his brain seemed to flinch) he would have know her since birth, even if that occurred when he was ten. Given their age difference they would have virtually grown up together, and he would have been something like an older brother instead of…well instead of whatever it was they were.

"C'mon" Peter said, sitting on a park bench and patting the seat next to him, "let's talk."

If possible Claire turned even redder. "I know what you're thinking!" she blurted out. Peter started to interrupt with a joke about how that was his thing but she rushed on, talking fast. "And we don't need to have that conversation. I mean…most people don't meet their uncles covered in blood running from a psycho killer. But I do know you're my uncle. I just…really wanted to cheer you up this morning, I mean, you seemed like totally bummed about having to move in with us. But if you'd rather go and hang out with her that's fine."

Peter was slightly stunned. "I was just planning on saying that I know you wanted me to yourself today, not" he half smiled and gave a small laugh, "any of that."

"Oh God!" Claire moaned and sank down on to the bench, head in hands.

"But" Peter said, attentively putting his hands on her shoulder, almost afraid you would sink away from him, "I was thinking the same thing."

Claire looked up and he was horrified to see that there were tears on her face. "Really?" she sounded hopeful (_Probably of just not being embarrassed,_ his brain said, _don't be stupid_.)

"Yeah" he said, wiping away one falling tear with his hands, "we're more friends than anything. Friends get jealous sometimes."

"Right." Claire nodded, "that's totally what it is." She looked shy all of a sudden. "You know, you're pretty much my best friend."

Peter stood up from the bench and grabbing her hands, pulled Claire up too. "You're pretty much my best friend too" he said, turning to take them deeper down the pathway into the park, "but I don't know what that says for my street cred, that my best friend is a 16 year old cheerleader."

"Ex-cheerleader" she corrected, "and who says street-cred anymore?"

Once again Peter laughed, "God I'm old" he said.

Claire nudged him as they walked along, "so" she said, voice coy all of a sudden, "are you going to ask her out?"

* * *

By 6 P.M Nathan was livid. First he had gotten a call from Claire's school asking if she would like someone to bring her assignments by, since she was sick. At first he was concerned, because she might have gotten sick between the breakfast table and her first class, maybe. Then he remembered a conversation she had had with Mohinder (when they were getting their blood drawn so the geneticist could draw up full DNA profiles of them all) about weather or not she could even get sick or die. He had been stunned to learn that she had never been sick a day in her life, and whished he could pass that gift onto his sons, whose childhood measles and colic he remembered all too vividly. The geneticist hadn't know the answer, but something told Nathan that her absence from school had more to do with his younger brother being with her than any illness. When the school principal told him it was a nurse who had called her in sick his suspicions were confirmed.

"Where have you been?!" Nathan roared as Claire and Peter walked in the door, laughing, at exactly 6:05 (he had been clock watching, an event he had not thought he would be required to do until Claire started dating.)

"Relax Nate" Peter said, looking a little surprised, "she was with me."

"I know that" Nathan said, "and as thrilled as I am that you two are bonding even further, I explained this morning that you need to be careful. And" he turned to Claire, "skipping school is not ok."

"Peter needed cheering up." Claire's voice trailed her as she wandered out of the entryway and into the kitchen. She would never get used to how big this house was-that you couldn't just come in and flop down on a couch-there were whole rooms to get through before you even got to the rooms that were functional.

"You should know better" Nathan hissed at Peter, his pointing finger an inch away from his brothers eye, making him back up slightly, "after what you agreed to this morning I expected better!"

"I agreed to move back in-yes." Peter said, edging around his irate brother to the freedom of the rest of the house, "and Claire and I needed a day of freedom before we're locked up for good."

"Oh for Christ's sake" Nathan muttered, staring at the ceiling as though he could beseech the heavens for better behaved relatives, or ones with more sense. He followed them into the kitchen were Heidi was cooking; something she felt compelled to do now that she could reach the counters again.

"Calm down Nathan" his wife said, stirring something that smelt like soy sauce, "no harm done. Besides I'm sure they won't do it again."

Affirmations came from both Peter and Claire and Nathan's blood pressure dropped a little. "Ok" he said, dropping down into one of the bar stools that fronted the counter, "what did you two jailbirds do today?"

"Peter got a girlfriend" Claire sing-songed.

"I did not" Peter said, "I just met a girl that maybe I'll ask out."

Nathan beamed at his brother. This was good, this was great. Ok, his new daughter had skipped school but she was fine, his brother was thinking of dating again and it was very_ normal_. No one was talking about flying or dreams, his wife was walking (and doing other things) again and everyone was going to be safe inside the family home.

Everything was fine.

For about a month.

* * *

October rolled around and Claire was siked to see fall in the city. Nathan and Heidi even talked about taking her up to Vermont to really see some colors, and Peter was dating Lauren from Macy's who irritated his mother because of her very working class background (which Peter had to admit was a bonus.) Everything was fine.

Except Claire was feeling weird.

It started out small, like she would say that there was some weird smell around which no one else noticed. Then she pretty much stopped eating (leading to a Petrelli wide freak out about possible anorexia, which Nathan thought might be caused by depression from lack of contact with Peter) and complained that her stomach felt weird.

Then she started throwing up. Mostly this was around meals. Food would be served and she would rush from the room, hand over her mouth. Or right when she first woke up in the morning. This led to several really frustrating talks with Heidi and Nathan, and a really, really want-to-kill myself awkward conversation with Angela about bulimia.

"I'm not making myself throw up!" Claire yelled, frustrated out of her mind and at the end of roach with this latest effort to get her to confess to an eating disorder she didn't have.

"Ok" Peter said, having been called in as the best person to deal with Claire, "I know I've been kind of absent for a while around here, but you can still tell me anything."

Claire threw up her hands. "I am not staging some kind of drama because you're dating! God!"

"That's not what I…"

"Angela said that and so did Heidi but in a nicer way. I am not lonely or depressed or missing my family so much that I'm making myself throw up! I just don't feel good!"

Peter grabbed Claire's shoulders and rubbed them, trying to get her to calm down. "Alright" he said, "you don't feel good. I'm a nurse, let me figure it out. Tell me what's wrong with you."

Claire sat down and rubbed her eyes and Peter noticed for the first time how tired she was looking. _Maybe I should have spending more time at home_ he thought.

"Well, there's the vomiting which you know about…"

Peter interrupted. "Is there some kind of pattern to the vomiting?" He had grabbed a notepad and a pen and looked very professional, almost laughably so, to Claire. She wanted to tease him about having his "medical face" on but was too tired.

"I don't know, in the morning? Whenever I eat, sometimes when I smell weird stuff."

"Do you smell weird stuff a lot?"

"All the time" said Claire. "Is this what going to the doctor is like, because I haven't had a check up in like" she thought, "ever really. I guess my dad didn't want me to."

Peter was frowning. "Back on topic Claire. You look tired, are you tired?"

"Really, really tired. Even though I sleep all the time."

"Ok" Peter said, looking extremely uncomfortable, "do your breasts hurt at all?"

"What?!" Clare blurted out, "Why do you want to know about my boobs?"

Peter felt like sinking down on to the floor in a puddle of embarrassment. Blowing up would be easier than having this conversation. "I need to know Claire. Just pretend I'm a doctor you don't know."

"Fine" said Claire, and to Peter's complete astonishment she reached down and started to very gently stroke one of her breasts, and then the other.

_Clearly she's thinking about something else_, Peter thought, making an effort not to let his mouth hand open, _because she couldn't be doing that in front of me…oh god I'm going strait to hell. There is some kind of special part of hell for uncles who watch their nieces give themselves breast exams-and enjoy it!_

"Yeah" Claire said, removing her hand and letting Peter breath again, "They're pretty sore. How did you know that?"

Claire stared at Peter, who was looking more and more freaked with every answer. Finally he put his pad down and stared at her. His face changed to an impersonal mask and he asked a question he really didn't want to know the answer to.

"Claire have you ever had sex?"

Claire choked on the water she was drinking and she was sure a little must have come out of her nose or ears or something. "How is that any of your business?"

"It's just" Peter looked uncomfortable and worried at the same time, "these symptoms, they kind of sound like, since you probably can't get sick…"

"Spit it out Peter."

"They sound like symptoms of pregnancy."

Claire laughed. "Oh" she said, laughing a little, "I thought you were going to say something terrible like cancer. I can't be pregnant."

Once again, they were getting into territory that for a verity of reasons Peter did not want to get into, "why not?"

"Well" she said, setting down her water on the table, "do you believe in immaculate conception?"

Somewhere inside of Peter a huge sigh of relief came out, again for a verity of reasons he would rather not think about.

"I guess" he said, "that these could all by symptoms of the flu, or mono. Or something to do with our genetics.

Claire smiled at the way he said our. It was one more thing that linked them, this special flaw they shared.

"But still" he said, looking extremely uncomfortable, "I need to know when your last period was."

Claire frowned. They had already established she wasn't pregnant. But she answered anyway. "Um…" she thought…"about, I guess two months ago. Weird."

Peter's head popped up. "Is that unusual?" He asked, "Is that late for you?"

Claire's face turned red but she answered. "Yeah-it's really late. Could something be wrong with my stomach?"

Peter sighed again and leaned forward to grab one of Claire's hands. "Claire, I'm goanna ask you to humor me."

She liked holding hands with him-liked the way her hand looked small inside of his, the way his skin felt-soft for a guy but not girly soft and the way their skin tones contrasted-his emo white skin and hers tanned from the Texas sun. "What do you want me to do Peter?"

"Take a pregnancy test."

"This is pointless" Claire said, sitting with Peter on the side of the tub while they waited for a plastic stick to tell them she was _**not**_ pregnant. "I told you I'm a virgin. Do you not believe me or something?"

"I believe you" Peter said, "It's just that all the symptoms fit and…" He frowned. _Don't tell her yet_, his brain said, _you'll just freak her out and you have no idea if you're right. _He looked at his watch. "Times up."

Claire grabbed the stick before Peter could (it was her pee on it after all) and turned it over.

"I don't believe it…."

On the stick, in clear letter (Peter had gotten the digital kind on his embarrassing run to the pharmacy because it was easy to read) it said: **Pregnant.**

"It's gotta be wrong, right Peter?"

Peter opened and shut his mouth a couple of times. "I don't think it is Claire" he said, "I think I know what happened when we were kidnapped."

* * *

To be continued….

A/N: dun dun dun! Ok so, feedback is needed! Do you want to know what happens next, think you know what happened, never want me to ever write another word again? I Need to know. Coming up in chaoter two: Peter's theory, a conversaton with Mohinder, Peter and Laura go on a date and a shocking revalation!


	3. Chapter 2

Author's note: It occurred to me while writing this that I have no idea if Mohinder is a medical doctor or just a P.H.D. But I think it's the later because he was definitely giving Molly medical care. So if I am wrong, for the purposes of this fic, he is a medical doctor with past experience and everything. Also I know nothing about how the blood test for pregnancy is done now. I know it used to be that the doctor would inject a rabbit with your blood (or pee) and if the rabbit did something (became pregnant maybe?) then you were pregnant. But now I have no idea, so I'm pretending that you can just see the difference in pregnant blood versus non-pregnant blood (stupid I know, but I didn't want to spend time researching it.)

Also someone asked in a review if this is a Paire story. Yes it is, it's just subtle at first. But very soon it will be taking off in giant leaps and the rating may even have to be changed to mature!

Also-only Molly has the virus in this. No epidemic. Though it may show up in more people later.

I also wanted to apologize for miss-spelled words last time. There will probably be miss-spelled words this time too-I'm dyslectic so spell check doesn't always help me. If someone wants to volunteer to edit….

Once again, thanks to all my reviewers….

**Trinity**

**Chapter two**

"Ok Peter" Claire was very annoyed, and tired. She should be asleep, or doing homework, not trying to convince Peter that she couldn't be pregnant because she was a_ virgin. _That test was just wrong, that was all. "Tell me this great theory of yours which explains how I got pregnant without ever having sex."

"Look, maybe I shouldn't jump to conclusions" Peter said, standing up so he wasn't sitting on the edge of the tub (which was digging into his butt), "this test could be wrong. I'll go by another one."

No she was really annoyed. "Look peter, I don't know what's going on with you but I'm not taking another pregnancy test-it's beyond stupid. I'm going to bed." Claire stood up and left the bathroom, headed down the hall to her own bedroom. Peter followed her.

"Claire every symptom you've described to me is out of a _textbook_ on pregnancy. All I'm saying is that when we were kidnapped…"

"What?" Claire whirled around in front her of her door, startling Peter into jumping back and hitting the wall. "What is it you think happened? That I had sex when I was dead? Or drugged? Or…" suddenly her face got her white and her eyes began to tear up. She whispered the rest of the sentence, "someone had sex with me?"

Peter cursed himself for even bringing this up before he was absolutely sure. Moving forward he wrapped his arms around Claire and hugged her close. "No" he whispered in her ear, brushing her tears off her face and smoothing her hair as he cradled her head against his shoulder. "I think if someone wanted you to be pregnant they wouldn't have risked doing it the old fashioned way. It's much more likely that you were artificially inseminated."

Claire shifted slightly so she could look up at Peter's face, but kept her head on his shoulder. "Like they do for people who can't kids."

"Yep" Peter said, aware that they were now whispering, and her face was very close to his. He was about to pull away, remove himself to a safe distance so he would stop thinking _those_ thoughts, when he heard a door shut further down the hall.

"What's going on here" Nathan asked, his voice her low, "I thought I heard some shouting?" Peter turned quickly, almost pushing Claire out of his arms. One glance at his brother's face showed that the older man looked suspicious.

_Shit_, Peter thought, _if can see what I'm thinking then she must be able to also…_

"Nothing" Peter said, "Claire and I just had a little fight about…" he trailed off, not being able to think of something quickly enough.

Claire butted in. "I wanted to Peter to come with to Vermont this weekend" she said, "but he has a date with Laura."

"Oh" Nathan looked so relieved that Peter's stomach turned over with the guilt. "You should bring her along Pete; none of us have really gotten the chance to know her."

"Ok" Peter said, "Yeah, I'll definitely ask her."

"Good man" Nathan clapped his hand of Peter's shoulder and gave Claire a little hug, "You should go to bed sweetie; you've been so tired lately."

"Ok Nathan" Claire said, and she and Peter both watched as Nathan wandered back into the master bedroom. Then Claire grabbed Peter's arm and pulled him into her bedroom.

Peter hadn't spend a lot of time in this room, which until Claire moved in had been a guest room, and like all the rooms in the Petrelli mansion had been impeccably decorated. There was a lot of highly polished wood, nice, coordinated paintings on the wall and a lush carpet which accented the wall hangings. In other words, like a room in the nicest of hotels. Now it was completely different. There were about a dozen teddy-bears on the bed and while one of the paintings was still on the wall, it was accompanied by posters of movies he knew Claire loved (like Dirty Dancing, which she had made him watch with her once) and a huge collage of pictures of her family and friends from Texas.

"I like what you've done with the place" he said, wandering over to the collage, "is this Zack?" he asked, pointing a spiky haired skinny teen in one of the pictures.

"Yeah" Claire said, flopping down on the bed. "Peter do you really think I'm pregnant?"

Peter sat down on the foot of Claire's bed. "I'm not positive Claire but I think you are, yeah."

He could tell she was fighting a battle not to cry. Once and then again she opened her mouth but no words came out. Finally: "How do we find out for sure?"

"A Blood test" Peter said, "but because of our genetic status there's only one person I know who can do it."

………….

Mohinder had not been having a good day. Even though he had recently benefited from an influx of research related cash, Mohinder was still living in his father's apartment-which seemed to have developed a cockroach problem overnight. Not that Mohinder didn't respect the little Coleopterans to death but he didn't want them living behind his fridge. So the morning had been spent trying to get a cheap exterminator. The extra cash he had received from the Petrelli's had gotten him a better computer set-up though, and the living room had been converted into a lab so he could study the various genetic "anomalies" of the people on his fathers list. The rest of the money had gone for sprucing up the apartment for his new roommates, Matt Parkman the mind reader and Molly Walker, the human tracking device.

And while Mohinder loved having his two new roommates (most of the time at least) sometimes they drove him crazy, like when this morning Molly had suddenly announced that she wasn't drinking milk anymore because there was a girl in her class that was vegan and…..beyond that Mohinder had kind of gazed over and stopped listening and let Matt handle the rest of it. Then later on Matt had forgot the combination to the lock box that Mohinder had insisted he keep his gun in (since there was a child in the apartment) and until Mohinder had thought something that reminded Matt what it was there had been a lot of frantic rushing around looking for the post-it he had written it on. Then a fight about how reading minds wasn't polite with lot's of "I just can't help it" from a defensive Parkman and a whole bunch of " you could at least try" from Mohinder which led to Parkman saying that it wasn't even really _necessary _since most of the time Mohinder didn't even think in English.

So needless to say Mohinder had been enjoying his alone time. Instead of thanking god it was Friday (like he was supposed to) he was cursing the fact that he would have no alone time this weekend.

Peter and Claire showed up when Matt was at work and Molly was at school. At first Mohinder had cursed and banged on his keyboard (seriously messing the genetic code of one Anna Lambert in Kansas who could breath underwater) and then when he heard Peter's voice through the door.

"What is it Peter" Mohinder opened the door, concerned. Though Peter often came over to talk, if he just showed up it usually meant that he had picked up some new ability and needed help getting it under control. But the presence of a short blond teenager with him ruled that out as a possibility.

"Claire" Mohinder was surprised, "shouldn't you be in school?"

"Yeah" Claire said, twiddling her hands in Mohinder's doorway, looking very nervous, "but I need your help and it's pretty important."

"All right." The Indian professor was a little baffled. Though the various people he knew with abilities often had questions or problems, Claire's "special talent" was automatic and never seemed to shut down. She had never before needed his help. "Come in."

Peter came in the door with Claire, his arm holding on to her elbow and guiding her towards the couch in the living room. The new set-up was kind of like a doctor's office, the patient sat on a couch in front of Mohinder's massive desk and he sat behind it, monitoring several computer screens at once. They both sat down on the worn floral couch and Mohinder settled in behind his desk, raising a questioning eyebrow at Peter.

"I'm just here for moral support." Peter said.

"All right then" Mohinder leaned back in his chair, "what can I help you with Claire?"

"Peter thinks…and then I took this test…and now I need to know" Claire rambled, not making any sense at all.

Peter took over. "I think when we were kidnapped six weeks ago that Claire was arterially inseminated and now she's pregnant. She took a pregnancy test last night that said she was, and since she can't just walk into the local Planned Parenthood, we need you to do a blood test"

"Your mouth is hanging open" Claire told the Indian doctor.

Mohinder snapped his mouth shut. Then opened it again, snapping into doctor mode "is there any possibly that you became pregnant through more…natural means?"

Claire shook her head, blushing a little. "Not a chance."

"Ok" Mohinder said, opening a drawer in his desk and pulling out gloves, a needle and some test tubes. "Then I need some blood."

Claire leaned forward and grabbed a sharp, silver letter opened off of his desk, clearly ready to slash her hand open, but Peter and Mohinder reached out and grabbed her hand.

"Claire we need to do this right" Peter said, gently turning her arm over and swabbing the inside of her elbow with an alcohol pad Mohinder handed him, "we don't want your blood to get contaminated by anything."

"Also I like to keep my desk clean" Mohinder said, coming out from behind his desk. He sat down next to Claire and got ready to stick the needle in. "If I remember everything you told me correctly" he said, inserting the needle, "this won't hurt a bit."

Claire watched, a little fascinated as her blood ran into the tube. She had seen an awful lot of her blood in the last year (and bones, muscles and cartilage) but this was only the second blood test she'd ever had.

Mohinder pulled the needle out. "All done." He said, taking the tube over to his lab set up, "just apply a little pressure for a moment and…"

"No need." Claire said, holding up her healed arm.

Mohinder smiled and using a syringe took some blood out of the tube and dropped it into a test tube, added something to the blood and swirled it around. "I always forget about that" he said, staring at the blood, "somehow it's easier for me to believe that there are people who can _consciously_ make themselves bend time or light or fly then that there is someone whose body just heals all on its own."

Claire's foot was tapping on the floor like she had had seven cups of coffee (which she had, since she hadn't slept at all the night before, just lay in bed staring at the ceiling and trying to remember something that had happened for those few hours that she and Peter and had been kidnapped. It hadn't worked.) "Is it done yet?" She asked.

"Just a minute" Mohinder said, swirling the blood around some more. "If it positive" he said, "It would explain why you were kidnapped, and possibly why you were let go so easily." He said trying to make conversation and lighten the tension in the room.

Peter nodded and Claire mad a _hun?_ Face, so he explained. "Pregnant women don't do really well in stressful environments" he said, sipping his foot on top of Claire's to make it stop thumping (he had been up all night to and now had a nasty headache) , "it's possible they wanted you to be happier so the baby could do better."

"Oh god" Claire said, dropping her head into her hands, "a baby. I can't be having a baby. I just can't. I never even had sex, not after…"

"After what?" Peter asked, stroking Claire's hair and using the voice he would use on a wounded animal.

Claire looked up, a very guarded expression on her face. "After…after I found

out I wasn't normal." She pulled her foot out from Peter's and resumed her tapping. Peter kept stroking her hair. Both of them watched Mohinder. He dropped some of the blood on a lab slide and stuck it under a microscope.

The doctor sighed and moved away from the scope. "I would have to do an ultrasound to be 100 sure" he said, "but the pregnancy hormone is definitely present in your bloodstream."

Claire started to breathe fast. When she began to talk, her voice was more than a little hysterical. "And that means..?" she asked, crossing the fingers on both hands.

Peter sighed, his face looking very tired all of a sudden. "It means you're pregnant."

Mohinder came over to the couch to offer a consoling hand but Claire was having none of it.

"No way" she said, standing up. "this isn't right. It can't be right. I'm only 16, I don't want to be pregnant. And who the hell is the baby's father? How can I be pregnant without ever having sex and. and" she started to hyperventilate, "I'm kind of dizzy" she said, between gasps of air.

Peter grabbed Claire in a bear hug and forced her down to the couch. He pulled her so her head was resting in his lap and resumed hair stroking.

"Claire" he said, using his best forceful voice, the voice he had used when he told her to _**run**_ on the night of her homecoming, "I know you're freaking out right now. I am too. But we will get through this ok? I'm going to be right here for you, and I'll do whatever you need me to do. But you need to breath slower or you're going to pass out."

"I've never passed out in my life" Claire said, sounding offended. But her breathing slowed down.

Peter chuckled a little. "I know you haven't" he said, gently helping her to sit up, "but if there was ever a time to pass out, it would be now. You have every right to freak out but you need to stay conscious."

"ok, ok" Claire said, wrapping her arms around her chest and forcing herself to take long, sow breaths. "I can do that."

"Good" Peter said, rubbing her hair." _It's so soft_, he thought.

Mohinder watched them, slightly started. If he hadn't known them, hadn't known their history, there was no way he would think Peter and Claire were related. Peter was acting far more like he was the father of this baby then it's great-uncle. But perhaps the Petrelli's were just an extremely touchy-feely family.

"I hate to burst in" Mohinder said, "but now that you're feeling better I really should examine you. Perhaps you'd be more comfortable if Peter left the room?"

"No" Claire said, grabbing Peter's hand in her own, forcing him to stop his hair stroking, "Peter can stay."

"Ok then" Mohinder said, "I just need to know a few things…"

…..

Peter and Claire left Mohinder's apartment both feeling a little strange. The Indian doctor had confirmed that Claire was 6 weeks pregnant, had decided that it probably wasn't an ectopic pregnancy (where the fetus was lodged in a fallopian tube and had to be removed) but said he would need to buy an ultrasound machine for further information.

"Also" he said, "in about two weeks I can get some fluid from the fetus itself and put together a genetic profile of it's biological father. It's most likely, considering the lengths went through to get you pregnant, that the father is also special and so I probably have his genetic information, and name, right here." He said, patting his computer.

That information made Claire a little nauseous. "You can tell who_ its_ father is" she asked, "just like that?"

Mohinder nodded. "I can."

Peter, noticing that Claire looked a little green, wrote a check for the ultrasound machine and herded her out on to the city streets for the crisp fall air. They walked slowly, not really heading in any direction.

_I guess at some point I'll hail a cab_ Peter thought absently.

"Hey Peter?" Claire broke into Peter's random thoughts, "Do you think it's fair to tell the father about…_it_? I mean, it's not like he did anything to make_ it_ or anything."

Peter thought. "I don't know" he said finally. "Maybe when we find out who it is Mo can tell us a little bit about him and then you can decide."

Claire nodded and they walked some more.

"Does that mean you're going to keep it?" Peter asked.

"It's not like I have any choice" Claire said, stopping a of a sudden and sitting in a chair at an outdoor café, "I can't have an abortion because I'll heal up right there and then, and if I give it for adoption and it is special like Mo thinks it will be…then people could end up using it, or it could do something with it's powers or…."her eye's winded as she thought of a new possibility, "it could end up being another Sylar."

"Not possible" Peter said, sitting down next to her. "It's related to you."

Claire smiled, a little.

"You really thought this through" Peter said.

"I was up all night" Claire replied, toying with a bundle of straws on the table.

"Me too."

"Hey peter" Claire asked, and he realized she looked more freaked out now then she had since the apartment, "how do I tell Nathan?"

Peter groaned, a long exhale. "I have no idea" he said, "but it's not like he didn't do the same thing when he was your age."

Claire gave a refuel snort of laughter. "At _least_ he got to have sex."

But as it turned out they didn't need to find a way to tell Nathan. Because the previous night they hadn't hid the pregnancy test, and Heidi had found it in the bathroom trash can.

……

Claire and Peter waked up to the mansion door just as the October light began to drift past twilight and into full darkness. They had decided the best thing to do was to tell Nathan flat out.

"He really has no reason to mad at you" Peter said, trying to calm down Claire as they ate lunch at the café, "you didn't do anything wrong in this situation."

"I know" Claire said, pouring salt on to her clam chowder, "I know. It's just I haven't know him very long and I have no idea how he's goanna react."

"I know Nathan's kind of….slimy sometimes." Peter said, putting his hand over hers, "but he's basically a good guy."

"If you say so" Claire said, brooding. "And even after I tell him I have to tell my real dad-I mean my adoptive dad. And my mom, and Lyle. And they're all going to freak."

"Let's take it on parental figure at a time ok Claire?"

Claire grabbed Peter's hand, enfolding his fingers in her own. "Thank you Peter" she said, looking into his eyes and making him dizzy for a moment, "There's no way I could have handled this without you."

"I'll always be here for you Claire" he said, squeezing her hand back, "you're family." But he looked away just before her smile faltered just a little.

"Hold my hand" Claire said as they approached the doorstep to the mansion. "I can't do this without you right next to me."

Peter reached out and grasped her hand, giving it a little squeeze, and they opened the door.

And then all hell broke lose.

"You son of a bitch" Nathan growled quietly, just on the other side of the door. "_I should have known."_

Claire gave a little gasp of fear but Peter was just puzzled. "What's going on Nate? Why are all the lights out?"

They heard a click as Nathan turned on the lights. He was sitting on a couch in the entryway holding a glass of scotch and clearly drunk.

"I should have known" he said, standing up and advancing on them, "all the time you spend together, the way you_ look_ at each other when you think no one's looking…"

"Nathan what are you talking about?" Claire asked, "are you drunk?"

"Those days you played_ hooky_ from school. What were you really doing, hun, Pete? Where you screwing my daughter? _**My Daughter?!"**_ Nathan Roared.

Claire backed away, whimpering, but Peter didn't let go of his hand. "Nathan I don't know what you're talking about" Peter said, "But it's pretty clear you've had something to drink. Why don't we just…"

Nathan roared again. "Look even _now_ you can't keep your filthy hands off her" he said, pointing at Peter and Claire's clasped hands.

Claire broke the connection and backed towards the door. Peter began to say something but Nathan rushed forward and punched him hard before he could. Peter wasn't an especially small guy but Nathan was bigger and years of fighting had always led to one result: Nathan winning.

Peter went down hard and smashed his head on the edge of a table as he fell. Claire screamed as the awful crunch of bone on glass echoed through the room.

There was blood, a lot of blood. Claire got down on her knees and cradled Peter's broken head in her lap. "You have no idea what you've done!" she screamed at Nathan, crying.

"I know exactly what I've done" Nathan reached down and grabbed Claire by the arm, pulling her away from Peter. "I killed my sick son of a bitch brother who got my daughter _**pregnant**_!"

Claire froze. Heidi and Angela rushed down the stairs. Heidi screamed as Peter stood up and began to put his scull back together.

"How…do you know that?" Claire asked.

Heidi rushed over to Claire and pushed Nathan away. She hugged the crying teenager. "I found your pregnancy test sweetie" she said, trying to calm Claire down, "and I told Nathan it wasn't what he thought, but he just got drunk and…"

"It's ok" Peter said, spitting out a tooth and swearing as the new one grew in, "Nathan's drunk; he doesn't know what he's doing. Or saying."

"Exactly" Angela said, sounding absurdly calm considering the situation. "Claire dear, why don't you tell your father how you came to be in this situation."

Claire ran over to Peter, checking his head to see if it was ok. This elicited another growl from Nathan but Heidi held him back.

"It was when we were kidnapped" Claire said, putting herself in between Peter and Nathan. "I guess when I was drugged I was inseminated somehow. Because I've never even had sex. And I've _definitely_ never had sex with Peter."

"Oh Claire!" Heidi gasped, reaching out and hugging her step-daughter, "how awful."

"That sounds perfectly reasonable" Angela said. She walked over to Nathan and grabbed him by the arm. "Now, you young man are going to sober up."

Nathan, looking ashamed but still suspicious, headed upstairs.

Just then Simon and Monty walked in.

"Whoa!" Simon said, staring at all the blood, "what happened here?"

……

The next day was weird to say the least. Nathan was extremely apologetic and ashamed and kept thanking god for the fact that Peter could regenerate, or he would be dead. Angela was perfectly calm and collected as if nothing had ever happened, Peter was trying to be understanding about his brother's drunken ideas and Claire was trying not to throw up.

And they were all, along with Simon, Monty and Laura, going up to Vermont to look at tree colors.

Peter thought it would have been less uncomfortable to let Laura in on the big secret and fly her up to Vermont (by hand) then to drive there like this. The whole ride he and Claire were shooting furtive glances at each other, each pretending they weren't and whenever they made eye contact blushing heavily. They had yet to talk about what Nathan said last night. Peter had decided it would be better if they_ never_ talked about what Nathan said last night.

_I don't acknowledge it's real then it's __**not**__ real_. Peter repeated the thought over and over again in his mind. Claire had a similar one running through her head.

Finally they arrived at a very large park, where they were lots of trees in gorgeous fall colors. No one seemed to care. Simon and Monty went to find leaf piles to dive into and Heidi walked with Claire arm in arm discussing pregnancy very quietly. Angela sat regally on a park bench and Laura was taking pictures.

"Look Pete" Nathan took Peter aside, "you know everything I said-and did-last night. I was drunk out of my mind."

"I know Nathan" Peter said, clapping him on the back, "it's ok."

"Pete it's not ok, I could have killed you."

"But you didn't and…"

"And I know Claire will never talk to me again."

Peter sighed. "She will Nathan. It's just that she was already upset and you made it worse."

"I know. I Know." Nathan rubbed his face. "Maybe she should go back to living with her adoptive family for this. They know her better and she's gotta want that."

Suddenly Peter felt alarmed and sick. Claire leave now?

"No she can't." He said, very firmly. "New York is where Mohinder is and he's the only doctor she'll be able to see. We have no idea who this pregnancy will progress and…"

"Who's pregnant?" Laura asked, sliding up to Peter and kissing him. "Is Heidi having another baby?"

"We're thinking about it" Nathan said. "It was great you could come up here Laura. I haven't seen my baby brother so serious about a girl in a long time."

"Nathan!"

"Sorry Pete." Nathan clapped him on the back, "I'm going to go talk to Claire."

"Be nice!" Peter yelled at his brother's retreating back.

"So," Laura said, wrapping her arms around Peter's waist, "I was thinking that the car rise up here was really uncomfortable."

"You got that right" Peter said, dropping a kiss on the top of her head, "we kind of had a fight last night."

"Well, then why don't we stay in some hotel up here tonight, and take the train down into the city tomorrow? Give everyone a chance to cool off…" she looked at Peter hopefully.

Peter liked Laura, he really did. She was nice and smart and funny and very real compared to the girls he grew up with. But she wasn't….He looked off to where Claire (_niece!_ His brain shouted, _niece who you were just accused of incest with!) _was and looked away quickly.

Maybe it would be a good idea to be out of the house for a while.

"Ok." He said, smiling down at Laura. "Just let me go tell the family."

Claire smiled as she saw Peter approaching. She had cleared the air with Nathan (but she didn't think she'd ever not be afraid of him now when he was drinking) and Heidi was being very sweet. Even Laura seemed nice enough once she got to know her.

When Peter got close enough she handed him a massive maple leaf she had found. "Isn't this a great color?" she asked. "I think I'm going to paint my room this."

Peter looked at leaf, which just seemed to be reddish brown to him, but if she said it was nice, it was nice.

"Will you be ok without me for one night?" He asked, "Laura and I were thinking of staying here."

Claire frowned but quickly changed her expression. "Sure." She said, "I have a much larger support system now."

This comment made Peter ache somehow but he smiled. "Ok" he said. "That's good. But you know I'm always…"

"…here when I need you. I know" Claire said.

Peter smiled, gave Claire a quick hug (no longer than propriety dictated) and went off to his girlfriend.

………..

Fall in New York quickly turned into winter, but Claire felt like she was living in a backwards world where outside things were dieing and inside life was being created.

She studied more about pregnancy than she did for anything at school, which she figured was ok since she'd have to leave as soon as she started showing anyway. She knew exactly how many cells her baby was at given time, and what was forming in it now. She marked these on her calendar the way she used to mark football games.

"Today the lungs are starting to develop" she would write, in big marker, "today the baby has a reptilian brain."

She even marked down the exact date on which she realized she loved her baby.

She had been in shock for so long, and had to make such huge decisions, like where to live (New York, it turned out, because she had to be near Mohinder) and when to tell her parents (over Christmas break so they'd have time to get used to it while she was visiting-she felt bad she hadn't told them yet, and it felt like lying every time she was on the phone with them but it was better to wait) that she didn't even think about the baby. She was sick yeah, and her boobs were getting bigger, but other than that she was very detached from the actual_ person_ that was growing inside of her.

Peter said it was like if she had been raped and it was nothing to feel ashamed about if she couldn't love the baby. At east not right away. But she doubted his _see the best in everyone philosophy_ would pull through here. Maybe she would never care about the Baby. Maybe she should give it for adoption-_she_ hadn't done that bad.

But then December rolled around and Mohinder said the fetus was big enough to get DNA from so they could tell who the father was. He had to do an ultrasound so he could see where to stick the needle and, with Peter holding her hand, she saw the baby for the first time.

"You don't have to look" Peter said. "I know you didn't want an ultrasound before…"

"I want to see it now" Claire said, "Now it's almost like a real person, just a lot smaller, I want to see it."

And she had. She watched while Mohinder stuck a _giant_ needle she couldn't feel down through her stomach (which was barely showing at all yet-Heidi thought that was funny considering she was so small) and into the baby's umbilical cord.

"Don't hurt it!" she almost yelled, and that's when she realized that no matter the circumstances of it's begetting that she did love this baby.

But it wasn't hurt and Mohinder got what he needed. "Come back in three days" he said, "by then I'll have sorted through the DNA profiles I have."

So Claire went back, the day before winter break started, with Peter at her side for support. He came to almost all of her appointments now, but sometimes Heidi did, and once even Nathan had come.

She knew something was up from when they knocked on the door. Mohinder looked weird-jumpy.

"What's up Mo?" She said, sitting on his old lumpy couch. "Do you know who it is?"

"I do." Mohinder said, refusing to meet her or Peter's eyes.

Peter was standing behind Claire, one hand on her shoulder. "Well what's going on Mohinder?" he asked. "You seem weird. Is it someone we know?"

"Oh yes" Mohinder said. "The father s someone you know. Peter I think you should sit down for this."

Claire could tell Peter was confused, but he sat and grabbed her hand. They both looked at Mohinder while Claire imagined horrible things like the father being Ted the nuclear man or Isaac the heroine addict pre-cog.

"I did the test three times." Said Mohinder, handing them both some pages with DNA charts on them, "and the result is always the same."

Peter frowned at his chart. "This doesn't make sense" he said, "this shows that…"

"The father of the baby is a close relative of the Mother." Mohinder said. "Yes"

"Peter" he said, looking at the couple on the couch, "_you_ are the father of this baby."

……..

To be continued……

A/N: I was going to leave that as a cliffhanger but I thought that would be too cruel. So starting next chapter the Paire begins to really take off and come out of its little Paire closet! Ok so coming up next, several short chapters with Peter and Claire's reactions to the news (maybe Nathan's also) and then a visit home to Claire's family-only they live in California now and guess who else is there? West!


	4. Chapter 3

Author's note: This chapter is Peter's reaction to the news that he is the father of Claire's baby. The next chapter will be Claire's reaction. The style of these chapters is going to be a little different-lots more of the characters thoughts are going to be put in and the two chapters will inter-lap. Before this I haven't had a lot of Paire stuff in, but in Trinity Peter and Claire had more of a benign attraction to each other at first and that gets catalyzed by the revelation that Claire is having Peter's baby. So here we get to see what Claire and Peter are thinking about after that revelation. Peter's thoughts are in_ italics._

Also I actually did the research on this one (after the pregnant rabbit debacle. I'm an Anthropology major-not pre-med. I guess it shows, and Elliesmeow, I'm glad I made you laugh.) I'm taking a cultural anthro class and my professor spent a long time talking about the cultural bias against incest and he said that the reasons against it aren't so much genetic as they are cultural-it cause's intense competition in small groups, and messes up inheritance and making alliances with other groups. It is true that you can have a perfectly healthy child with someone you are closely related to, assuming you both have a low genetic load (explained in story) but I'm not recommending it or anything…

Once again, love to all my reviews. You are wonderful people. If only there were more of you….

**Trinity**

**Chapter Three**

……

It was funny how ordinary everything had seemed just one minute ago, Peter thought. Really nothing had changed. He was still sitting on Mohinder's lumpy sofa, still breathing the same air, still holding Claire's hand. _Oh god!_

Peter stood up, suddenly. "I'm going to throw up" he said, and ran into Mohinder's bathroom.

The bathroom was full of toys-bath toys, stuffed animals-things that obviously belonged to Molly Walker. Unfortunately they made him think about children and that made him think about babies-and that….

_Oh god!_

Peter reached into the toilet, sat back against the shower door.

_My__** niece**__ is having my baby. My niece, my __**sixteen year old**__ niece is having my baby._

"Peter?" Claire's voice came through the door, tentative and shy. "Peter can I come in?"

_Jesus Christ she's so young! Even her voice sounds young._

"Now's not such a good time Claire" Peter said, rubbing his temples with his hands.

_How am I going to tell Nathan? He flipped out before-now he's really going to kill me. How am I going to tell her father? Her mother? I've never even met her…_

"Peter we really need to talk about this" Claire said, from the other side of the door. "Remember how you said this thing wasn't my fault? Well, it's not your fault either."

_Right. I didn't __**actually**__ have sex with my niece; I just __**want**__ to have sex with my niece. _

_Where did __**that**__ come from?_

"Oh god. I did not just think that. I did _not_ just think that."

"Think what?" Claire asked, opening the door and sticking her head in. "Peter I know you want to be alone by Mohinder says he need to talk to us."

_Get it together Pete._

"Ok." Peter stood up and washed his mouth out in this sink, then splashed water over his for good measure. "I'm ok."

"Good" Claire said, and when he looked at her he saw she had her arms crossed and was biting her bottom lip. Clearly nervous.

_Jesus she's as freaked out as I am. It's hard enough being a pregnant virgin 16 year old; try being one's who pregnant with her uncle's kid?_

_I wonder if this makes the baby her cousin? Or my great-niece or nephew? _

"What were you thinking?" She asked again.

"That Nathan's going to really kill me this time." Peter lied.

"I didn't even think about that!" Claire groaned.

"Well, there's a lot to think about." Peter said. He grabbed her arm, trying desperately not to notice how she smelled up close (kind of like chocolate-which he knew was from some anti-stretch mark crème Heidi had given her that she used religiously) and how the muscles in her arm felt (firm-clearly the arm of someone athletic.)

_Now is not the time_, he told himself.

_In fact, it is never the time to be noticing things like this about your __**niece**_.

They sat back down on Mohinder's couch, where they had been only minutes before.

"I know this news is…weird" Mohinder said, getting out more pages covered in genetic symbols, to show them, "but in a way I should have anticipated it. You were kidnapped together and you both have remarkable abilities; co-mingling your DNA makes sense. And there is good news."

"What could possibly be good in this situation" Peter snapped.

"Hey!" Claire said, sounding offended, "I know this pretty much sucks but I am not the worst person in the world to have a baby with!"

"Claire you're my _niece_!" Peter said, grabbing her hands and trying to explain, "this baby…it could have all kinds of things wrong with it and…"

"Actually" Mohinder broke in, "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. You see," he pulled out his charts and pointed at a chromosomal grouping, "Even we treat the evolutionary process that created your abilities as a disease, you both still have a fairly low genetic load so…"

Claire broke in. "what does that mean?"

Peter shrugged. His training as a nurse hadn't taken him this far.

"It means that there aren't very many recessive diseases or conditions in the Petrelli family line-which 75 of the baby's DNA comes from. So even though you are related, the baby's DNA is perfectly healthy. Ah, your daughter's DNA I should say."

Peter let a breath he didn't even know he'd been holding. Beside him Claire did the same and grabbed his hand.

"It's a girl?" Claire asked, her eye's tearing up, "that is so cool. Isn't it Peter?"

Peter realized he was smiling, that dopey, lopsided smile that he used to hate so much.

For a moment he luxuriated in the feeling of her skin on his, its texture and color and wondered if the baby-his daughter-would have skin like Claire's- and then he snapped back to reality.

"I have to go." Peter stood up, smile turning into a frown. "I'm sorry" he said to Claire, "I have to go."

And he ran out of Mohinder's apartment like it was on fire.

……

An hour and a half later he showed up at Laura's.

"Hey," she said, opening the door. "I was going to call you and tell you it was my day off…" she trailed off, looking at Peter's tapping feet and nervous face, "you look freaked. What's going on?"

"I just got thrown out of a confessional" he said, walking past her into the apartment. Laura's place was pretty nice really, considering her salary. She had a roommate, who Peter had yet to meet because apparently she worked nights and stayed someplace else when Peter stayed over, so there rooms he hadn't seen. But what had seen was nice. " I was going to go home, but…."

_Just don't think about it. Just don't think how Nathan is going to kill you, just don't think how your child is growing inside of Claire, just don't think about how this is going to work out, just don't think about the possibility you'll never be able to hear you daughter call you Dad…just don't think about it!_

"What did you have to confess?" Laura asked, sitting down beside him.

Peter looked at Laura, trying to be objective. She was pretty, obviously. Dark brown hair that was perfectly strait without a kink or curl to it. Dark brown eyes that had no hint to green in them. She was tall to, for a woman. Just an inch shorter than him.

Claire's opposite in every way.

_Jesus Christ_.

"Sin." He said, "I had sin to confess. Still have it to confess actually because the priest thought was joking around with him so I guess technically…"

"Peter" Laura leaned in closer, rested her hand (larger than Claire's and less pink) on Peter's knee, "I know."

Peter panicked, began to sweat. "You Know?" He asked, his voice unnaturally high, "You know what?You know for a former hospice nurse I have a lot of secrets."

_Know about the abilities, know about me exploding, know about my baby?_

"I know that your niece is pregnant." She said, gently rubbing his knee. "And I know you blame yourself because you're such good friends. But it's not your fault. She's a teenager, teenagers have sex. And sometimes accidents happen. But it's not your fault."

Peter stood up, suspicious. "How do you know about Claire?" He asked.

"I have three older sisters" Laura said, standing up and walking to peter, putting her hand on his chest, "and twelve nieces and nephews. The oldest of them first got pregnant when I was eight. I know what a pregnant woman looks like-and ever since I met Claire her body's been changing."

_Yes, it has. Especially her breasts, they're so much bigger and so soft looking and…_

"Oh god" Peter said, making sure to slap his head-hard. "You won't tell anyone will you? The media is going to have a field day when it comes out and she still hasn't told her adoptive family."

"Of course I won't tell anyone" Laura said, giving Peter a little squeeze. "You can trust me with anything."

_She's a good person,_ Peter thought, hugging her back and kissing the top of her head. _She's a good person and I've been using her to try and get over my niece._

_Oh god._

"You wanna go have dinner?" Laura asked, leaning back in Peter's arms so she could see his face. "I would cook but we both know I can't manage much more than pasta."

_This could be good. This could be a distraction._

"I'm Italian-I could live on pasta." Peter smiled his trademark lopsided grin and told himself he wasn't going to think about anything else for two hours.

………

"Are you sure you don't want to spend the night?" Laura leaned in close to Peter so he could smell her perfume (some kind of expensive scent that was all Apples and Roses and something else that was springy-not like chocolate at all.)

"I really can't." Peter said, leaning back, causing a bewildered look to appear on Laura's face. "Claire's leaving in two days and…." He couldn't think of any reason to be around Claire. But he needed to be around Claire.

_Shit._

"I understand." Laura said, a smile reappearing on her face as she leaned forward and gave Peter a quick kiss, "you're such a good uncle."

_Oh yeah, I'm the best._

……..

Outside the Petrelli mansion Peter stood, hands in his pocket, breathing cold steam into the air and thinking. There was a possibility that if he walked in that door, Nathan would kill him, for good this time. Assuming Claire told him. Which she probably hadn't but he really didn't know her state of mind seeing as he just ran out on her this afternoon. Just for that he probably deserved a couple of punches.

_I'm an asshole_. Peter thought, _I knew how nervous she was about finding out who the father was and she was just as freaked as I was and what did I do? I ran away!_

Peter paced. He looked in the front windows, but all he could see was the massive Christmas tree that had been professionally delivered and decorated a few days before. He thought about becoming invisible and phasing through the wall so he could check out the mood in the house but before he got around to bending light the door opened.

" Hey Pete "Nathan stood in the doorway," you _can_ come in you know. You live here now too."

_He doesn't know-she didn't tell him. Oh thank god._

Peter followed Nathan into the living room where to his surprise the whole family –excluding Simon and Monty-were. And Mohinder.

"We've been talking dear" said Angela, gesturing to the genetic charts that were spread out on the coffee table-the charts that had_ his_ daughter's DNA all over them.

"I thought it would be easier if Mohinder explained the whole thing to them" Claire said, standing up from her chair. The firelight was behind her and it gave her a halo effect like she was an angel.

"It's ok Pete." Nathan stood in front of him, hands up in a gesture of peace, "I'm not happy about this but you didn't have anything to do with it."

"You're not mad?" Peter asked, still prepared to run through the walls and fly away if necessary-taking Claire with him of course. Maybe they could go to Aruba or something, raise the baby where no one knew them on a nice beach….

_Oh god. Claire in a bikini…._

"Oh I'm mad" Nathan said, "I'm mad at the sick son of a bitch who did this to my daughter. I'm mad that she won't even consider having an abortion-since we know there's someone who could wipe the memory of any doctor-and I'm mad that my first grandchild will also be my niece. But I'm not mad at you."

Heidi walked over to Peter and grabbed his hand, pulling him down on the couch with her. Empathy was shining out of her eyes. Peter often wondered how someone like Heidi could have ended up with someone like Nathan.

"It's ok Peter" she said, "we're all going to figure this out."

"I think" Claire said from the corner, winding her arms around each other, "that you should come with me to see my parents. To tell them."

For a moment Peter couldn't say anything. Claire bit her lip.

"Ok." He said, "if you want me there, I'll be there."

Claire smiled at him and he couldn't help but think that this was a bad idea.

……

Peter was staying in his old room while he was living at the mansion. It had a lot of memories for him-it was here where he'd first realized he wasn't quite like Nathan and his father, here where he had his first kiss with the ambassador to Germany's daughter when he was 14 during some party his parents where throwing, here where he had lost his virginity, first had the flying dream….a lot of firsts, a lot of memories. So how come when he desperately needed to be thinking about the past all he could think about was the occupant of the room down the hall?

Claire's room was exactly seventeen feet from his. His wasn't exactly sure when he had picked up this piece of information. Probably around the same time that he learned what her favorite ice cream was, or when he figured out she had a penchant for 80's teen movies.

Useless pieces of information flew through Peter's mind. Claire's favorite pair of jeans, her irrational fear (the only fear she had really) of ponies, when she'd first learned she was adopted, the way she felt about her powers….

Some of it was normal family stuff. Things any uncle would know about their niece. Some more of it could be explained away because they were friends, but the rest?

The rest of it….when had he learned it?

_When did I start to fall in love with my niece?_

"Oh God." Peter threw his arm over his eyes and tried to stop thinking. Telekinetically turned off the light so he'd stop _seeing_ her in his head. Wished he had the power to make himself fall asleep.

……

Like most dreams he didn't realize it was a dream. In fact, if you could have interspersed a slice of the dream into his real life he wouldn't have been able to tell you which was the dream and which was real. There was no unusual plant life in this dream, no people he didn't know or had never met nothing about it that screamed **Dream!**

It was just him, in bed (not the bed he was in now, but a bed nonetheless) with Claire.

In this dream he didn't seem to know that she was his niece because what they were doing was not typical uncle niece activity. For one thing, they had no clothes.

Skin on skin, hers Texas tanned his emo white. Her hair got into his mouth and he could taste the blondness of it, feel the texture of the curl against his tongue. Lips on lips-both of them smiling like idiots. Hands grasping each other, fingers twining. Moans and whimpering and clenching body parts.

Her eyes, her lips, her voice as she said, "I love you."

…….

For the next day and half Peter tried to avoid Claire without actually avoiding her. He had to spend time around her-they had to plan a strategy, she said, for telling her parents. And he couldn't actually avoid her, because she was pregnant and emotional and it would just be mean. And for some reason, even though being around her made him feel like a disgusting incestuous pedophile, he had to be around her.

So really he spent all of his time with Claire except for when he went to see Laura and told her he would be gone for two weeks. She had been remarkably understanding about him going to support Claire to tell her adoptive parents.

And at night he dreamed the dream. During the day he replayed it over and over. He both dreaded and went out of his way to try and take naps, to see if it would come back, causing Nathan to ask him if he was "sick or something" (because only babies, girls and old people take naps.)

Finally they were set to leave. Mohinder had said he didn't know what kind of effect teleporting would have on a fetus and while Peter might be able to stand a human flight all the way to California, Claire probably couldn't. So they went the ordinary route and took a plane.

They said their goodbyes, promised to call, got advice from Nathan and Heidi and an absent, "everything will be fine" from Angela, and went of the airport.

…..

_There are some advantages to being a Petrelli,_ Peter mused, settling down into his large leather seat, _like first class._

Of course, first class came with all sorts of perks, like free chocolate truffles.

Peter watched as Claire ate one, watched every minute movement of her lips, her tongue. He could smell the chocolate and that reminded him of how she smelled and that reminded him of her skin which reminded him of the dream.

_Since when is chocolate so pornographic?_ Peter wondered, staring at Claire. She looked back at him and gave him a little smile.

"I've never gone first class before" Claire said, grabbing his hand and squeezing it, "it's so much better than coach, don't you think?"

Peter nodded, even though he'd been so focused on the way her lips moved that he hadn't heard a word she said.

Her face turned serious and he forced himself to pay attention. "Thank you for coming with me Peter; I don't know how I could tell my parents without you. You really are my best friend."

"I said I'll always be there Claire" He said, squeezing her hand back and trying desperately to focus on anything but the way her skin felt, "and I will."

Claire smiled and snuggled into her seat. "I'm going to sleep, ok Peter?"

"Sure" Peter said, "I brought a book, go ahead." She closed her eyes and for a moment Peter was just _stuck _staring at the rise and fall of her breasts-and then a flight attendant walked by and he wrenched his eyes away.

_I'm going to hell. Strait to hell._

_This is going to be a looong trip._

_To be continued..._

A/N: Ok, so that's chapter three. I hope Peter doesn't come off as icky or anything-I tried really hard to make this be about him realizing how he feels and that he thinks it's wrong, but I don't want him to come off to the readers as a creepy uncle. Let me know how I did. Also I know he says (or thinks) "oh god" a lot, but remember, he's a lapsed Catholic.

Once again, chapter four will be Claire's version of the same events as in this chapter, but obviously there will be stuff in t that wasn't in here, like Nathan's initial reaction, talk about the Haitian and a phone call with Claire's Dad.

Also Elliesmeow was worried about the pending appearance of West. Don't worry-he is a means to an end. He has a purpose to serve and then he will disappear and you will be overwhelmed by the Paire!

So hit the purple button and review! The faster you review, the faster I write.


	5. Chapter 4

Author's note: Once again, thank you for all the lovely reviews (if only there were more of them….) Those of you who said Nathan and Angela didn't react right-you are right. But chapter three was Peter's versions of events-Claire had a different day then he did after all.

So this chapter is just like chapter three, but from Claire's point of view. Once again _thoughts_ are in _italics_, and Claire also has a running thought (just like Peter's "oh god".) You'll notice early on that her reaction to the paternity news is completely different from Peters, but she just strikes me as having the kind of reaction I wrote about. And I don't know if Angea actually smoked in the show, but doesn't she seem like the type?

Enjoy the chapter and please review.

**Trinity**

**Chapter four**

Claire had done her very best to come to terms with having this baby. It wasn't like she could rationalize having made a bad choice-she hadn't even done anything to get pregnant. So as much as she focused as much as she tried to love this baby, it was more an uphill battle than surrendering to maternal instinct. It was only three days ago that she had even decided she felt a flicker or love for this baby.

And then she heard Mohinder say the baby was Peter's.

And everything changed.

Some part of her mind, some small part of her mind (a much smaller part than it should have been really) reacted with an instant: _eww. _The rest of her brain ran through a line from a song she was pretty sure she had only heard once.

…_running down into the spring that's coming all this love, melting under blue skies, belting out sunlight shimmering LOVE…._

_Well baby I surrender to the strawberry ice cream never ever end of all this love, well I didn't mean to do it but there's no escaping your love…._

Yes. That was it-that was how she felt. Like she had been wrapped up in sunshine after living in the dark for months. Like she got to eat ice cream after living on salad. Like…like she was having this baby with someone she…. loved.

_I do. I love Peter._

And the realization was like waking up. She was completely, head over heels _in love_ with Peter.

Claire smiled and her hand strayed down to her belly, touching it lightly. Her baby was in there-her and Peter's baby.

Beside her Peter stood up, suddenly. "I'm going to throw up" he said, and ran into Mohinder's bathroom.

The smile dropped off of Claire's face and her hands balled up in her lap. She bit her lip and looked down, trying to keep from crying.

_He doesn't want us_, she thought_, he doesn't want me._

Mohinder came out from behind his desk and sat down next to Claire. "You know" he said, conversationally, "When you first found out about the impregnation you were very upset-terrified in fact."

Claire nodded but a tear streaked down her cheek.

"Peter had just found out that he is having a child" Mohinder said, putting a hand on Claire's shoulder. "In normal circumstances it would be an emotionally charged situation, but in these circumstances…"

"Right." Claire sad, wiping off her cheeks with her fist, "of course."

_He's just upset. He just needs time. _

"Once he comes out of the bathroom though I do need to talk to the two of you."

"Ok." Claire said, taking a deep breath. "I can probably get him to come out."

She stood up and walked over the bathroom door. Through the wood she could hear Peter gagging

"Peter?" She said, leaning against the door, her hand against it like she could touch him through it, "Peter can I come in?"

_Let me come in. Let me talk to you. _

"Now's not such a good time Claire." She heard. He sounded stressed, in pain almost.

_C'mon Peter. You were my hero. You saved me, I saved you. _

Claire sighed, tried not to cry again. _We have to get through this._ "Peter" she said, trying her very best to sound older, more assured. "Remember how you said this thing wasn't my fault? Well, it's not your fault either."

_Don't leave me alone with this Peter. You promised…_

She waited ear to the door. Finally she decided to just to go in.

"Oh god. I did not just think that. I did _not_ just think that."

Claire opened the door and stuck her head in. Peter looked freaked, eyes wide, fists clenched. "Think what?" she asked. The expression of Peter's face was awful-like he had just found out he hand murdered his family.

_Or impregnated his niece._

He didn't answer, just looked at her like she was an alien. She bit her lip and crossed her arms over her stomach, protecting the baby from his stare.

_I don't want you to ever know that your father looked at you like that_ she told the baby silently.

"Peter I know you want to be alone but Mohinder needs to talk to us."

Peter turned away from her and turned the sink on. She watched as his swished water around in his mouth.

_He doesn't want us. He doesn't want me._

"Ok." Peter splashed some water on his face. "I'm ok."

"Good."

_He's not ok; he's not even close to ok. I bet he wishes he wasn't the father, I bet he wishes there was no baby, I bet he wishes he never met me…_

"What were you thinking?" She asked, before she could stop the words from coming out of her mouth.

"That Nathan's going to really kill me this time." Peter said.

A vision of Peter, head covered in blood, scull crushed appeared in Claire's mind. _And Nathan only thought he was the father then…_

"I didn't even think about that!" Claire groaned.

"Well, there's a lot to think about." Peter said. He grabbed her arm and Claire noticed how his hand felt on her arm, how close up he smelled like soap and coffee, the way the tendons in his hands moved as he gently (_so gently_) steered her towards the couch.

_He's so pretty for a man_. She thought. _Not like a girl, just, he has great hair and bones and he smells good…_

_Not that it matters. He just sees me as his little niece._

They sat back down on Mohinder's couch, where they had been only minutes before.

"I know this news is…weird" Mohinder said, getting out more pages covered in genetic symbols, to show them, "but in a way I should have anticipated it. You were kidnapped together and you both have remarkable abilities; co-mingling your DNA makes sense. And there is good news."

"What could possibly be good in this situation" Peter snapped.

_Oh god._ Her heart beat sped up and her fist clenched. _He doesn't want us; he doesn't want me…._she got angry, quickly.

"Hey!" Claire said, feeling her heart break as she talked, "I know this pretty much sucks but I am not the worst person in the world to have a baby with!"

_Can't you tell Peter? Can't you tell that I love you?_

"Claire you're my _niece_!" Peter said, grabbing her hands and from his tone she could tell he was trying to explain, "this baby…it could have all kinds of things wrong with it and…"

_Oh god. Please no. It can't. This is Peter's baby. Nothing is wrong with it; I __**know**__ nothing is wrong with it…_

"Actually" Mohinder broke in, "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. You see," he pulled out his charts and pointed at a chromosomal grouping, "Even we treat the evolutionary process that created your abilities as a disease, you both still have a fairly low genetic load so…"

Claire broke in. "what does that mean?" _Please, please, please…._

Beside her Peter shrugged.

"It means that there aren't very many recessive diseases or conditions in the Petrelli family line-which 75 of the baby's DNA comes from. So even though you are related, the baby's DNA is perfectly healthy. Ah, your daughter's DNA I should say."

Claire let out the breath she had been holding and beside her Peter did the same.

_He cares! He cares! He's glad the baby is ok!_

She grabbed his hand, feeling happy again. "It's a girl?" Claire asked, her eye's tearing up again, but happy tears this time, "that is so cool. Isn't it Peter?"

She looked at Peter and he was smiling-that lopsided smile she loved so much. The pieces of her heart that were broken fixed themselves, regenerating like she always did. She squeezed his fingers and wondered if the baby would have his hair-she loved his hair-or his smile.

"I have to go." Peter stood up, smile turning into a frown. "I'm sorry" he said to Claire, "I have to go."

And he ran out of Mohinder's apartment like it was on fire.

_I guess he doesn't want us after all._

And Claire started to cry again.

After a minute Mohinder came over to the couch and wrapped an arm around Claire. "He's just scared" he said, soothing her hair as he would Molly's after a nightmare, "this is a lot to take in."

"I know" Claire gulped, trying to stop the sobs that were welling out of her chest. "He'll come around and be there for me. He is always is. But he won't mean it. He'll spend the rest of his life wishing…wishing…"

An expression of surprise and then realization came over Mohinder's face.

"I don't think" he said, talking very slowly, "that that will be the case. It's a biological imperative that parents love their children-they have to in order spend all that time caring for them and using their energy to make sure their children survive."

"You really think so?" Claire stared into his face as though it held the answers, "you think he'll love the baby?"

"You do." Mohinder handed Claire a Kleenex, "I see it very clearly. And if you can, considering the circumstances of its conception, then he will as well. He just needs time."

_And he needs not to have been killed by Nathan._

"Ok." Claire wiped her face, stood up and threw the tissue away. "Mohinder, can you help me tell Nathan?"

……

"….and so that's pretty much it." Mohinder set down the chromsonal charts he was using as a diagram on the living room table.

There was total silence in the room. Claire looked from Nathan, to Heidi, to Angela. Nathan and Heidi looked stunned and Angela seemed a little bored.

_Someone talk. Someone talk._

"Well I think this is just awful" Angela reached for a cigarette and just before she lit up, Heidi snatched it away, gesturing at Claire. "I am not prepared to be a great-grandmother."

Nathan cursed, stood up and walked over to the liquor cabinet. Heidi tried to stop him but he muttered under his breath something about really needing a drink.

"Ok Claire" He said, tumbler of scotch in hand, "you just have to have an abortion and that's final."

"What? No!"

"Claire" Nathan sat down next to her, setting his scotch on top of the baby's (_my daughter's_) DNA. "I am in congress now. I had no idea how I was going to spin having a pregnant 16 year old daughter in the first place when my platform is family values. I cannot possibly stay in office if people find out that the baby's father is my _brother_!"

"This is not all about you!" Claire stood up, angry. "This is about me, and Peter. And if you can't spin it then I'll just move somewhere where nobody knows me and have the baby there."

"And do you think Peter will go with you, dear?" Angela asked, taking Nathan's scotch and sipping it, "he'd never abandon his family like that. Why, he's not even here right now!"

Now she was furious. And scared. No one was on her side here.

_Peter where are you? I need you!_

_He doesn't want us. He doesn't want me._

"Claire think about it" Nathan urged, grabbing her hand and trying to pull her down back to the couch, "do you really want to give birth to your first child when you're seventeen? Live away from your family for the rest of your life? Not be able to finish high school, or go away to college…" he pulled out the big guns, "Claire I know how much you want to be normal. You will never have a normal life if you don't take care of this."

"This" Claire said, pulling away from Nathan, venom shooting out of her eyes, "is my daughter! She has a brain, and a heart and I will not have her pulled away like she is nothing. In case you forgot that was never an option to begin with!"

"You told me" Nathan said, wagging his finger in Claire's face, "that your adoptive father worked with a man who could remove people's memories. I'll just get him to take care of the doctor who…takes care of you."

"No!" Claire jerked away, backing out of the room. "I won't do it. I don't care if it hurts your career. My life wasn't going to be normal anyway, so I don't care if having this baby means I can't go to college." She started to leave the room, but looked back just as she reached the stairs. "And Peter is my family. He's this baby's family. He won't leave me alone. You'll see."

To the sounds of protest Claire ran up the stairs into her room and slammed the door.

_He'll come back. He has to come back. He's my Hero, he'll pull through…_

There was a nock on the door. Heidi's voice came through, "Claire, can I come in?"

Claire buried her head in her pillow. "Not if you're going to tell me I have to have an abortion or put the baby up for adoption or something."

The door opened. "I wasn't going to say that." Heidi came over and sat on the bed. "I was just going to say it must be kind of a relief to know who the baby's father is…and have it be someone you care about."

Claire pulled her face out of the pillow. "It is. I mean kind of. I know he's my uncle and it's weird but….at least I'm not so alone now."

Heidi nodded. "You don't have to be alone. Listen, I'm going to go talk to Nathan. We'll figure something out. We knew you were going to leave school after the break anyway. We'll come up with something."

"Ok."

Heidi squeezed Claire's hand. "Give me about ten minutes, and then come down."

Heidi left and Claire waited her hand on her stomach. She got up and pulled the sonogram picture from three days ago off her collage wall.

_It just looks like a dot. How can I care about something that looks like a dot?_

Ten minutes passed and she went down the stairs. Incredibly, Mohinder was still there, though he did look a little traumatized by the family's behavior.

Claire walked into the room slowly, prepared to bolt. Nathan looked angry but a little calmer and was still nursing a scotch. Heidi poked him and pushed him towards Claire.

"I'm not good at apologies" he said, "that's why I became a politician-then I'd never have to say I'm sorry."

_Very funny._

"But I was wrong, what I said. We'll figure something out. If you want to keep this baby-it's your decision."

"Thank you." Claire said, unwinding her arms from around her stomach. "Thank you."

To her complete surprise Nathan pulled her into a bear hug. For a minute she didn't know what to do with her arms, but then she gently-afraid he would pull away-wound them around Nathan's back.

"It's going to be ok Claire" Nathan said, "I don't know how but it will be."

"Thank you." Claire said again. The hug ended and Heidi guided her over to a seat by the fire.

_Now I just need Peter and everything will be ok…_

Like she had conjured him up out of whishes and firelight, Claire saw Peter's face through the front window. He looked just like he had three hours ago-freaked.

Nathan saw too. He walked over to the door.

"Hey Pete"Claire could hear Nathan's voice from the doorway, "you _can_ come in you know. You live here now too."

There was a pause and then Peter followed Nathan into the living room.

_Thank you, thank you. I knew you'd come through for me. For us._

"We've been talking dear" said Angela, gesturing to the genetic charts that were spread out on the coffee table.

"I thought it would be easier if Mohinder explained the whole thing to them" Claire said, standing up from her chair.

"It's ok Pete." Nathan stood in front of him, hands up in a gesture of peace, "I'm not happy about this but you didn't have anything to do with it."

"You're not mad?" Peter asked, looking like he was ready to flee the room at any moment.

"Oh I'm mad" Nathan said, "I'm mad at the sick son of a bitch who did this to my daughter. I'm mad that she won't even consider having an abortion-since we know there's someone who could wipe the memory of any doctor-and I'm mad that my first grandchild will also be my niece. But I'm not mad at you."

Heidi walked over to Peter and grabbed his hand, pulling him down on the couch with her. Even from where Claire was sitting she could see empathy was shining out of her eyes. It had frequently bewildered her why exactly Heidi had married Nathan.

_Maybe she was pregnant._

"It's ok Peter" Heidi said, "We're all going to figure this out."

"I think" Claire said from the corner, winding her arms around each other, "that you should come with me to see my parents. To tell them."

For a moment Peter didn't say anything. Claire bit her lip.

_He doesn't want us. He doesn't want me._

"Ok." He said, "If you want me there, I'll be there."

Claire smiled for the first time since he had run out of Mohinder's apartment.

…….

Claire couldn't sleep.

She wandered her room, looked at pictures of her family, of Zack, even of Jackie.

_I wonder what they would say if they knew…_

_If they knew I was in love with my uncle._

Claire knew she should be freaked out. She should be disgusted about the paternity of her daughter-but she wasn't. She should be thinking about ugly words like _incest _and _inbred_-but she wasn't. She should be terrified about what was going to happen, wondering if to save the reputation of the Petrelli family she would have to give up both her families. She should be angry as hell about the fact that someone had kidnapped and impregnated her when she was 16. But she wasn't.

Instead the only thing she was mildly upset about was that she had no idea how Peter-just seventeen feet down the hall, she had measured once-felt about her. He was just presenting a shocked and slightly supportive front, with no real emotion.

And so she lay on the bed, thinking about him.

Until she started to dream.

…..

Like most dreams she didn't realize it was a dream. In fact, if you could have interspersed a slice of the dream into her real life she wouldn't have been able to tell you which was the dream and which was real. There was no unusual plant life in this dream, no people she didn't know or had never met nothing about it that screamed **Dream!**

It was just her, in bed (not the bed she was in now, but a bed nonetheless) with Peter.

Skin on skin, hers Texas tanned his emo white. She watched as he pushed his hair (long again like when they first met) out of his eyes. Lips on lips-both of them smiling like idiots. Hands grasping each other, fingers twining. Moans and whimpering and clenching body parts.

His eyes, his lips, his voice as he said, "I love you."

…….

There was only a day and half until they left for California and it passed quickly. Claire packed, went to her last day at high school (forever probably) and had a conversation with Mohinder about the safest travel methods. They decided a plane was probably the best bet.

She spent a lot of time thinking about the dream and staring at Peter. It made her depressed, because he just acted weird around her and she wanted so badly what was in that dream. She wanted him to love her, love her like _that, _and love their baby. Instead he just was quite and nice and maybe a little sick because he took a nap one day (and got teased by Nathan because of it.) Then he disappeared for a while, saying he had to say goodbye to Laura.

She felt like screaming at him but instead she just smiled and acted normal.

……

The plane tickets Nathan got them where first class, which Claire had never flow before. The seats where definitely bigger and nicer, and there was chocolate.

_It's good to be rich_ she thought as she settled into her seat.

She grabbed one of the truffles and ate it, slowly because she'd been craving chocolate ever since Heidi gave her coco butter stretch mark cream and since she didn't want to be huge she only ate a little. It was _so_ good that it made her close her eyes in bliss, savoring every little molecule of chocolaty goodness.

That's when she noticed Peter was staring at her. At first he thought he wanted her chocolate because he looked hungry and then she realized….

_Oh._

She forced herself not to bush, not to react. Her response to realizing she was in love with her uncle wasn't normal-she knew that. And Peter was such a good person. If even felt half of what she did he would be flipping out.

She looked back at him and gave him a little smile.

"I've never gone first class before" Claire said, grabbing his hand and squeezing it, "it's so much better than coach, don't you think?"

Peter nodded but he looked pained-like he hadn't really heard her.

She squeezed his hand again, because as much as she was enjoying the look he was giving her, she did have something she wanted to say. "Thank you for coming with me Peter; I don't know how I could tell my parents without you. You really are my best friend."

"I said I'll always be there Claire" He said, squeezing her hand back "and I will."

Claire smiled and snuggled into her seat. "I'm going to sleep, ok Peter?"

"Sure" Peter said, "I brought a book, go ahead."

She closed her eyes and pulled the thin airplane blanket over her (better than first class but still bad.) Maybe she would dream again.

Five minutes into the flight she opened her eyes, just a little, and watched as Peter turned his head quickly back to his book, blushing.

_Maybe he does want us. _

_Maybe he does want me._

………

To be continued…

A/N: OK, so no, I am not a lazy author. Claire and Peter are having exactly the same dream. (I wonder what that means….) In chapter five: Christmas at the Bennett's, the unfortunate introduction of West and who is Stark and what does Claire's dad know about him and his evil plan? The faster you review the faster I write….

So hit the blue (it did use to be purple) button people and you will learn more in the unfolding saga…

Oh and the lyrics are from "Accidentally in Love" by Counting Crows


	6. Chapter 5

**Author's Note**: All right, you reviewed so here's the chapter. First a mention to my lovely reviews- I'm so glad you like my little story so much-you're wonderful people who say such nice things, please keep up the good work and if you've been reading and not reviewing, write your first review. This chapter is extra long because there's a lot in it-probably no other chapter will be as long. This chapter had my first real Paire so tell me what you think of it. Actually it's my first romantic writing in a long time so I need praise or I'll feel inadequate (but only if praise is worthy, obviously.)

Also I haven't really been watching season 2 so much so I don't know a lot about West, so basically the West in Trinity is just a guy named West, not necessarily the character West.

And yes, Claire's attitude about being pregnant is a little weird. There is a reason for this. (I know most 16 year old girls wouldn't be thrilled to be impregnated with their Uncle's child even if they were in love with said uncle, but Claire is a there is a reason which will come up in later chapters.)

I know I forgot to include something in chapter 4 that I said I would but it just didn't fit in as well. I guess I am a lazy writer.

And if you can name the now discontinued sci-fi show from which I am borrowing the organization called Chrysalis, you get some sort of prize.

_Claire's thoughts: italics_

_Peter's thoughts: underlined italics_

**Trinity**

**Chapter Five **

By the time the plane finally touched down on the runway Peter felt like he was about to be singled out for the Dateline NBC: To Catch a Predator! The crew would come right up the isle of the plane and ask him why exactly he was staring at his niece _like that_. This fantasy for a moment distracts him from the errand he and Claire have come all this way to do: tell her parents, the whole story.

Claire spent the flight pretending to sleep (well ok, she did actually fall asleep somewhere over the Midwest, but only for a little while) so she could cast sidelong glances on Peter and catch him staring. While this did make her feel like she wasn't alone in her technically illegal love for her new relative, it also had the unfortunate side effect of triggering another lovely pregnancy symptom.

Extreme…lust. For the majority of the flight Claire wondered how Peter would take it if she invited him to join the mile high club, or just slid her hand into his lap.

_Probably not very well, _she thought. _He might have a heart attack. Or start to blow up._

As the captain announced that people could leave the plane and the overhead bins popped open Peter noticed an odd expression on Claire's face.

_She's probably nervous, I'm nervous._

"You ok Claire?" he asked, helping her up.

"Yeah." She said, grabbing her carry-on suitcase which Peter immediately took from her, "I'm just nervous. I haven't even seen my family in…a really long time. And now they live someplace new that I've never been."

Peter pondered this. "Do you wish you hadn't come to live in New York?" He asked, grabbing her hand and leading her out of the plane.

"No!" Claire was indignant. "Why would you think that?"

Peter laughed a little. "Because of everything that's happened. None of it would have if you'd stayed with your family."

"Peter." Claire grabbed her bag back, and held it out of Peter's reach. "I'm not upset anymore. I know that's weird, or not normal or whatever, but…I'm kind of happy now."

Peter raised an eyebrow-the expression on his face clearly saying:_ I don't believe you._ He grabbed the bag back.

"Peter! I can carry my own bag."

"Un-uh." Peter took the bag back, using just a _tiny bit_ of telekinesis to keep Claire from grabbing it back. "It's heavy and you're." he lowered his voice to a whisper, "pregnant."

"Oh! Whatever!" Claire stalked away from him. Just as they passed the gate she whirled around. "Why don't you believe I'm happy?"

"I never said that!"

"You had a look."

"I did not."

"You did to!" Claire threw her hands up in the air. "Peter I'm so sick of this."

_Hormones; gotta be hormones._

"Sick of what?" he asked and he sounded so patient that she wanted to scream. Or kiss him.

_Stupid hormones_.

"Ever since we found out that you're…" following Peter's lead she lowered her voice, "the baby's father, you won't talk to me, and you're treating me like I'm made of glass and" her voice got sad, "you barely look at me at all."

_Except sideways glances when you think I'm asleep…_

Peter sighed. He wanted to set down the bags and give Claire a hug but it just didn't seem like a good idea.

_Not while I'm thinking about her like…that._

"I just" Peter tried unsuccessfully to run his free hand through his now short hair, "I'm having a hard time dealing with this information and I'm worried about how your parents are going to react."

Claire bit her lip, looked down. Peter could tell she was about to cry.

"I'm sorry" he said, reaching out and putting his hand on her shoulder, pulling her into a half-hug, "I've been a jerk."

Claire sniffed into his shoulder. The scent of him-so clean- made the lump in her throat go away but also just made her want to pull him into a closet somewhere and jump him.

_I hate mood swings._

"And if you say you're happy" Peter said, trying to avoid the urge to nuzzle his head into her hair, "then I believe you." He pulled away and simultaneously they wished they were still handing hip to hip.

"I know it's weird" Claire said, trying unsuccessfully to take her bag back, "and I know that you're not happy but….it's just so much better that you're the father then some guy I don't know."

"I just never thought this was the way I'd end up having kids, that's all." Peter said, "I'll get used to the idea."

Claire smiled and Peter's heart lurched.

"Claire!" They both turned and saw just past the security check point was Claire's father, waving in that extra-high way people do when they're trying to get your attention.

"Daddy!" Claire squealed and ran towards him. Peter followed slower.

_At least I get to carry the bag._

……..

When Claire had talked to her father the day before she hadn't told him that Peter was going to be coming with her. So needless to say he was surprised.

"So" Noah said, in his best friendly interrogator voice as they waited for the bags to be unloaded from the plane, "Peter, you decided to come along?"

Peter started to answer but Claire butted in.

"Peter loves California" she said, "he has some friends here."

"Oh really?" Noah sipped his hands in his pockets and smiled, but far from being a friendly it only reminded Peter that this guy used to kidnap people for a living. "Will you be staying with us Peter?"

"Oh no-I wouldn't want to put you out." Peter saw Claire's smile go down notch and wished that the telepathy thing worked both ways so he could tell her it just wasn't a good idea. "I'll stay in a hotel."

"Nonsense." Noah put an arm around Peter's shoulders for a second. "If you're Claire's family, then you're our family too. We have a guest room."

Claire's smile went up to binding intensity again. Then the baggage carrel started up.

"I'll grab the bags" he said.

"I'll come too!" Claire went with him with a look on her face that said: don't_ argue._

Peter didn't.

"You do realize there is no way I'm letting you carry any of these bags" Peter said, annoyed.

"That's why I brought this cart" Claire said, rolling her eyes. "Besides we have to talk about…" her voice went down, "how this is going to work."

"We're telling them after Christmas, right?" Peter spotted his suitcase and grabbed it.

"Right." Claire reached for her suitcase (which in Peter's opinion was large enough for a months worth of clothes, not two weeks) but Peter snatched it away. "we're telling them in ten days."

"Ok." Peter thought for a minute, "what am I supposed to do in your house for a week and a half?"

Claire threw her hands up in the air. "This is what I was talking about!" She hissed, not wanting her father to hear, "you don't want to be around me!"

"That's not true" Peter panted as he lifted her bag onto the cart, "I just think things will be weird."

"Because you don't want to be around me." Claire knew she was picking a fight for no reason, knew from the way he had looked at her on the plane that he did, in fact, want to be around her, but she just couldn't stop.

_These hormones are driving me crazy._

Peter just sighed and muttered, "I can't win." Which made Claire even madder.

Neither of them noticed Noah, ten feet away, watching them with a questioning expression on his face.

……..

The car ride to Claire's house was extremely awkward (not that she had ever even seen the place, so how could it be her house?) Peter was worried about airbags in the front seat but couldn't think of any good reason for making Claire sit in the back, Claire was mad at Peter and anxious about seeing her mother and brother again, and Noah was suspicious.

"Do they know?" Claire blurted out (from the front seat) just before they pulled into a driveway of a nice looking, completely unfamiliar house. "Do they know about me?"

"No Claire-bear." Noah said his expression sad. "The way things are now, with me not working for the company, it's just more exposure if your mother and brother knew."

Claire looked down, bit her lip. From the back seat Peter put his hand on her shoulder.

"What did you tell them?" Claire asked, her voice just on the edge of tears.

"That you found your biological parents-I didn't say who they were-and you were staying with them for a while. They know that you're biological father's name is Nathan, you told them that on the phone, and you have an uncle named Peter, but I told them that their last name was Parker."

From the back seat Peter snorted. "Peter Parker?" He asked, getting a blank stare from Claire and an ironic smile from her father, "like Spiderman?"

Claire laughed, which made Peter smile a little.

"I thought you might appreciate that" Noah said, looking at Peter through the rear-view mirror, "it's also a very common last name."

"I don't understand." Claire said," why can't they know where I've been? Who I am?"

"Because Claire-and Peter you should hear this too-there are people out there, aside from the company, that would experiment on you, use you, hurt you. The less people that know how special you really are the better. And if the press that follows your bio-dad around ever published who your adoptive family was those people would have an easier time tracking you down."

Peter squeezed Claire's shoulder gently and she smiled back at him-that sad little smile he knew so well.

"I know it's hard Claire-bear but it's to keep all of us safe." Noah sounded tender and as he turned the car off he squeezed Claire's hand.

"Ok" Claire said, "I'll tow the line."

"Me too" Peter piped from the back, "just call me Peter Parker."

"Ok then, I think we're ready to go inside."

……

"Claire!" Sandra Bennett came out of the kitchen as the door creaked open, running to welcome her eldest with open arms. "You're here! Oh, I thought December 15th would never come!"

Around their feet Mr. Muggles danced, yapping his brain out.

"Mom" Claire whispered and rushed into her mother's arms, "oh mom, it's so good to see you."

"Oh Claire" Sandra's eyes teared up and Peter noticed that her Texas twang was much more pronounced than Claire's, "it is so good to see you! I have been cooking up a storm; I'm sure nobody was feeding you right in New York." She moved away and held Claire at an arms length, scrutinizing her, "but you sure haven't become a little stick thin model have you?"

"Yeah Claire" Lyle said from his perch on the stairs, sounding astounded, "your boobs are _huge_!"

"Lyle!" Claire, Noah and Sandra yelled simultaneously. Claire turned an alarming shade of red.

From the entryway, where he was standing, trying not to get in the way of the reunion Peter was a little shocked. He had always imagined, with her father kidnapping and doing experiments on the "special people" and wiping his family's memories if they learned anything they shouldn't know, that Claire's home life had been cold and secretive-something she wanted to get away from. After all, why else would she want to come live with his family? Here she even had a dog-ok a little puff ball of a dog but still a pet. In New York there was just Nathan vacillated between being an unfeeling shark and jumping to wild conclusions and Angela with hardly had a maternal bone about her. Heidi was nice sure, but Claire hadn't even met her before she moved in with them, so why had she….?

_Oh._

_Oh god._

But before he could follow through on his train of thought Claire ran from the stairs and grabbed his arm, hauling him into the circle of her family.

"This" she said, beaming, "is Peter."

"Is he your boyfriend?" Lyle asked.

Simultaneous thoughts from Peter and Claire :_ I wish._

"No." Peter shook his head firmly, trying to make those thoughts fly out, "I'm her Uncle."

_Don't think about it, don't think about it_

"Peter's going to be staying with us for the holidays." Noah said.

"Oh" Sandra recovered from the surprise quickly, "well the more the merrier."

"Thank you ma'am." Peter said, shaking her hand, "it's very kind of you to open your home during the holidays." Learning impeccable manners had been part of growing up a Petrelli.

"Oh" Sandra blushed and flustered, "call me Sandra."

Peter smiled his lopsided grin and Claire rolled her eyes.

……

Claire turned in a circle, trying to get some sense of familiarity. When her mother had shown her around the house she has said that this room was "your room dear" but she'd never seen it before. It didn't feel like her room-it felt like some nice bed and breakfast.

.She held a Union Wells High cheerleading uniform at arms length, trying to get some sense of home.

"I remember that." Peter was standing in her doorway, leaning against the wall. God, just looking at him made her pulse speed up and her temperature rise and made her want to….

"You look kind of hot…I mean flushed" Peter said, walking into the room and putting his hand on her forehead, "are you ok?"

Claire was trying, trying so hard to act normal and pretend that Peter was just some nurse, checking to see if she had a fever but she must have made some noise or something because Peter's face changed…

Peter's hand stopped feeling for a fever and started gently stroking her head. Claire leaned into his hand and tried not to moan.

His hand slipped down around the back of her head, gently rubbing the nape of her neck. Claire wasn't sure if he pulled her closer or if she moved on her own but suddenly they were so close….

"No." Peter's head shifted and her lips met his jaw instead of his mouth. He groaned, just a little sound but it made her clench up inside. His forehead rested on hers. "I can't do this" he whispered and if she hadn't been less than an inch from him she wouldn't have heard.

"You can" she whispered back, sliding her hands around his neck, shifting so there was a strait line from her lips to his, "we can."

And she could see it, see it in eyes, and hear it in his voice, the little hitch in his breath…

_He's going to kiss me; he's going to kiss me…_

"Claire!" Her mothers came yelling up the stairs and Claire cursed mentally with the worst words she could think of, "Claire there's someone here I want you to meet!"

Peter jumped away so quickly that Claire felt cold. His eyes weren't soft anymore, his expression was scared, terrified and…

_Disgusted? He thinks I'm disgusting…he was never going to kiss me, he was just…_

"Oh god." Claire was pleading and she didn't know it, she reached forward and tried to grab Peter's hands but he kept backing up, "Peter don't be mad, don't be upset, it's ok, it's really ok because I…"

But he cut her off. "It is not ok!" Peter was just on the quite side of yelling, "I almost kissed _my niece_ that is not in anyway ok!"

"No Peter" Claire was crying now, trying not to be loud because her parents _couldn't_ hear this, "please...Peter…"

But her pleas fell on deaf ears because in the blink of an eye, using Hiro's power of bending time and space, he was gone.

Claire collapsed on her bed sobbing. She wanted to indulge herself and cry for years but she could hear her mother's foot steps coming closer to her door. Grabbing her old cheerleading uniform she wiped off her face and forced herself to stop crying.

_You can be upset later. Just breathe. Just breathe._

"Sweetie?" Sandra popped her head in the door, "there's a nice boy who lives down the street I want you to meet. He's just your age and…" she got a closer look at Claire's face, "are you ok honey Have you been crying?

"No mom" Claire was praying that her voice sounded normal, "I'm just puffy from the flight."

"All right. Why don't you put a cold washcloth on your face and then come down, I really want you to meet this boy."

Claire rolled her eyes. "Ok mom."

Sandra kissed her forehead and walked out of the room. "His name is West" she called from the stairs.

……

After five minutes Claire figured she looked normal and could hold it together so she went downstairs. She could hear voices in the kitchen and started heading there but her dad cut her off.

"Where's Peter?" he asked.

Claire kept her face normal, her voice normal. She had gotten so good at lying to her father during the period when he thought the Haitian had removed her memory.

"He went to visit some friends" she said, pausing just for a moment at the bottom of the stars, "I'm not sure when he'll be back."

"Really? I didn't see him leave."

"He took non-traditional transportation." Claire passed her father and went into the kitchen.

It was like a scene from back home (in Odessa, which was no longer home.) Her mom was taking cookies out of the oven, Lyle was paying video games on a PSP at the counter and talking to her mother was this West guy, who she guessed was the Zack replacement.

She could only see the back of his head and even though his hair was floppy instead of spiky and not as dark as Zack's for a minute she pretended she was in a year and a half ago-back when everything was normal. Back when she'd never died, or saved the world, or gotten impregnated, or almost kissed her uncle.

_No. I'd rather have Peter than be normal. And I love my baby._

The boy turned around. He was cute, she guessed. In a teenage way, a way that hadn't appealed to her since she bumped into Peter on homecoming night.

Her heart clenched just thinking Peter's name and she decided that she wouldn't think about him, wouldn't talk about him, wouldn't even dream about him until he came back. She'd be normal.

"Hey, you must be Claire. I'm West." The boy introduced himself.

And here was the perfect person to be normal with.

…….

For the next nine days West showed Claire around. She let him believe that she would probably come to live here at some point so he was eager to show off her new home town. He showed her the school, the mall, introduced her to his friends…

She could tell he liked her, liked her a lot. But no matter what she told herself she couldn't stop comparing him to Peter. He wasn't as smart as Peter or as mature as peter or as empathetic…

Though empathetic could Peter be if he disappeared on her for so long?

Lyle and her mom referred to West as her boyfriend, which made him blush a little and her roll her eyes, but her father just stared in his quiet way.

So she hung out with West every day, pretending she wasn't pregnant, pretending she was normal.

And every night she dreamed of Peter.

……

Peter still didn't have the hang of Hiro's power completely so when he vanished he wasn't sure where he would end up. When he opened his eyes (bending space/time made him queasy. Hiro claimed that was because he was not focusing enough) he had no idea where he was.

He turned a little bewildered. He had wanted to get away, not get lost.

And then he saw it, and stared.

Stonehenge.

Only it wasn't really Stonehenge he saw, because this was on a bluff overlooking a pretty big river. There were windsurfers in the river and high, brown, hills on either side. It was warm, and a little windy.

_Probably midsummer. Shit. I wonder where I am…_

He walked towards the fake Stonehenge and froze when he heard laughter. Hiro had impressed upon him the importance of not making a rift in space time so he made himself invisible, just in case.

A little girl was running towards the rocks. She was maybe seven, kind of on the short side with long dark brown hair that hung down into her eyes. Something about her seemed familiar and Peter held his breath…

And watched himself walk around the corner, holding hands with Claire. He (future him he decided) had longer hair again, like it was before being a living bomb had blown it away, and Claire's hair was shorter, curlier. They both looked a little older and completely, radiantly happy.

"Hally slow down" future Claire yelled, and the little girl turned around and stuck out her tongue, but slowed a little. Future Claire got a grumpy expression on her face and future Peter laughed.

"I don't know why you think it's funny that she's a brat" future Claire said.

"It's just a stage" Future Peter said, and Peter almost didn't recognize the voice as his own he sounded so relaxed and happy, "she'll grow out of it." He wrapped his arm around future Claire's waist with a level of familiarity and comfort that present Peter wouldn't dare try.

"You're just saying that because she's a daddy's girl" future Claire said and she wrapped both her arms around future Peter's waist, "but this one is a boy, I know it, and he'll be all mine."

_Holy shit._

From his invisible perch Peter almost passed out. He watched as his future self and future Claire kissed, a long, comfortable kiss, the type that was bred out of lots of practice. He saw, as future Claire put her hands around future Peter's neck, a flash of a wedding ring.

_How is this possible?_

The little girl, seeing her parents kissing, ran over to them and pulled on future Claire's leg. "Mommy, Daddy! I want kisses too!"

Future Claire laughed and picked up the girl, giving Peter a view of her slightly bulging belly. To his compete astonishment future Peter looked in his direction and winked.

_He can see me? He knows I'm here? I have to go; I'll mess with the space/time continuum and…..._

_I want this life._

Peter made up his mind to leave but before he could go future Peter walked right next to him.

"Hey" future Peter said.

"Hi" Peter squeaked.

"You know" future Peter said, "this conversation would be a lot easier if you weren't invisible. And I know what you're thinking-if we talk it won't mess up anything."

Peter appeared. He chanced a glance towards future Claire and the girl but they were playing on the stones. "How do you know that?"

"I told me. When I made this time jump eight years ago. So I guess in eight years you'll be telling me and then again and again-Hiro will explain it to you eventually."

Peter was stunned. This man in front of him-it was him all right but he was so happy. So normal looking. "How did this happen?"

"There's a series of events that leads to this point. I can't tell you more, but you're already on the path."

"That's it?" Peter questioned, a little angry "that's all you can tell me?"

"Sorry." Future Peter shrugged. "I was pissed when I told myself that also."

"Man" Peter said, crossing his arms, "time travel sucks."

"I said that too."

"So there's really nothing else you can tell me?" Peter asked.

_I want to know how this happened. I want to know how I ended up so happy and with Claire so happy and this little girl…_

_My daughter. This is my daughter._

"Oh" future Peter screwed up his forehead thinking, "there was something else but it's been so long since I told me…now I remember! You have to go back right now!"

"Now? But I don't know how to act around Claire, how to…make this happen without killing myself with guilt."

"Trust me. Going back now is the first step. And trust your instincts."

With that future Peter rejoined his family. Peter of the present took one last look at the three of them, closed his eyes, and went back.

……

It was Christmas eve and Claire was so lonely she thought that if she could, she might try and kill herself. She was tempted to shove something in the back of her scull just for the few moments of oblivion it would grant her, but Mohinder had told her that until he could decipher the baby's genetic code and tell what ability she had, it wasn't safe to use any regeneration other then what was absolutely necessary.

And even if Peter was being an ass she wanted this baby.

West and his friends were having some party and her mom had pushed her to go. Claire could tell that her mother was already priding herself on her matchmaking skills and imagining the wedding.

So she went, dressed in something guaranteed to make people look because…well because Peter wasn't looking. Luckily she could still pull it off even at four months. And as the date for telling her family (though she guessed she would just tell her father now-since her mom and brother didn't know about her again) moved closer and Peter still didn't reappear she started to panic. She needed a distraction.

The party was all about making out and drinking and smoking pot. Since she couldn't do the latter and had no interest in the former (with West at least) finally she just asked West if they could go for a walk.

"I'm so glad I met you Claire" West enthused as they walked the moonlit streets, "I never really thought I could meet a girl I'd like in high school. Everyone's either a sheep or a Robot, but you're different, special, I can tell."

"I don't know" Claire said, trying to keep a safe distance between them as they walked (something West was not interested in), "I think I'm pretty normal."

West stopped walking and pulled Claire around so she was facing him. "Well, you're special to me."

He was going to kiss her, Claire could tell. She prepared a speech in her head about just being friends but he moved too quickly

And just for a minute, for the tiniest of fractions of a second she pretended he was Peter. But the pretending triggered her constant state of, well, being horny and even though she knew he wasn't Peter, because he didn't smell like Peter and his lips weren't as soft as she knew Peter's would be, and she kissed him back.

The little housing development her family had moved into was cutesy with lawn decorations and swinging porch benches. West Led her to one of those and the kissing continued. But when he started to press her down onto the bench set, tried to climb on top of her, she snapped to her senses.

"No." She said, trying to sit up, "I don't want to do this."

For a minute West didn't stop kissing her neck and she thought this would be an awful replay of what happened with Brody but he pulled back.

"Why?" He was confused. "I know the setting isn't ideal but you want it as much as I do."

_I do want it, just not with you. _

"I just" Claire stood up, backed away, tried to think of something to say, "I just…there's this guy. And you're really nice and maybe if I had never met him then this could be something but I did meet him and it's kind of…destiny."

From behind her she heard a voice. "Destiny, really?"

"Peter!" She whirled around and even though she was so mad at him she launched herself into his arms. Then she pulled away. "Where were you?" She tried to inject all her hurt and anger and loneliness into those three words but she was so happy he was back she was pretty sure it didn't work.

"Don't you have an uncle named Peter?"

_Damm it. I forgot about you._

Peter held out his hand to West. "That's me." He said. "Claire's family has a Christmas eve tradition and they sent me to get her."

"Oh." West frowned. "Ok. But can we talk more tomorrow Claire?"

"I don't think there's really anything else to say" Claire said, "I'm going back to New York in two days anyway."

"Ok." Now he sounded a little pissed, "I guess you're not so special after all. By Claire."

Claire sighed and turned back to Peter. "Where were you?" she asked again.

"Just a second" Peter said, grabbing her hand, "I don't want you to get cold." And before she could blink they were back in her bedroom.

"All right" she sat down on her bed, "I'm warm. Now tell me."

"I kind of jumped through space and time" Peter said, "and I could swear I was only gone ten minutes but I got back and it was Christmas eve. And then I had to get you a present."

Claire ignored the part about the present. "Where were you-in space time I mean."

Peter sat down next to her. "The future" he said softly.

Claire's eyes widened. "Did you see anything-I'm only asking because you were totally freaked out when you left and if that was really like ten minutes ago for you then you must have seen something…"

"I saw our daughter" Peter said.

"Oh my god." Claire's eyes teared up and her hand went her stomach-which was just now starting to protrude a bit. "how old was she, what was she like, who does she look like? Tell me everything!"

Peter laughed. "I will" he said, "but I want to give your present first. For being such a jerk." He reached his hand in his pocket and drew out a long jewelry box, the kind that a necklace from a nice store would go in. "open it" he urged.

Claire opened the box. Inside on a sliver chain was a mother of pearl pendant, shaped like a tear drop. It was heavy, and kind of large, but beautiful.

"It's the exact size and weight our baby is right now." Peter said.

"Oh." She began to put it on, but Peter reached around and fastened it on her neck. Her skin quivered at his touch. Then she felt a movement, like butterfly wings, in her belly. "Oh! Peter!"

"What is it? Is something wrong?" Anxious.

"No, no. The baby just moved. This is the first time." Claire was smiling, awed at the feeling of her daughter moving inside of her.

"Can I?" Peter asked, his hand posed above her belly.

"Yeah" She whispered, "But I think you might feel it better if you put your head in my lap."

So Peter did. And eve though he couldn't feel the baby, he could feel the wonder of the moment, and the healing of their relationship. And so they sat like that for hours and he told her all about their daughter in the future. But not about the wedding rings, or the second baby. Not yet.

After all he was supposed to trust his instincts.

……..

Christmas day at the Bennett's went by fast. There were presents, a turkey dinner, Mr. Muggles yapping under the table for his helping and then humping Peter's foot. It was nice, Peter decided (not the foot humping, but the rest of it.) It was so Christmassy that he and Claire even were moved to call in holiday greetings to the Petrelli household.

And then came the time.

They had decided to only tell Claire's father and let him handle the issue of telling Claire's mother. It wasn't fair and both Claire and Peter knew it, but it was what it was.

Claire's father retreated into his study to watch football after dinner, Claire and Peter followed him in. The game was on, but instead of watching it Noah was standing up against a bookshelf, sipping at a very full glass of scotch and gazing out the front window.

"Daddy" Claire said, twisting her hands, full of nerves, "I have something to tell you."

"You were kidnapped recently and impregnated" Noah said, voice toneless still looking out the window, "I'm guessing that you had Mohinder Suresh do a DNA test on the fetus and the biological father is Peter." He turned to Peter. "That is why you came, right?"

Claire's eyes were wide with shock, her voice was a whisper. "How did you know?"

Noah sighed, rubbed his head. "Sit down sweetie. You too Peter."

They sat. "What's going on here?" Peter asked, "did my mother tell you…"

"I guessed." Noah said. " Claire you look different-more like a woman and less like my little girl. And I could tell the two of you had a secret. You two aren't the first this is happened too-far from it actually."

"What do you mean?" Claire whispered.

"Several years ago I met a man named Stark" Noah settled into his easy chair, preparing for a long story, "who belonged to-well, ran- an organization called Chrysalis. This was a group of people who had been genetically altered-just slightly, they were nothing like you two. They just aged slower, didn't get sick as easily. They believed that because of this genetic alteration they were better than everyone else on the planet and they wanted everyone else to die out. They believed they were the next evolutionary step. Until they met someone like you. And they realized there was a whole side of evolution they had yet to explore. Chrysalis infiltrated the company and they started kidnapping those people that we had identified as special. They would take two at a time, a male and a female, impregnate the female with the male's sperm and let them go. We think they started the insemination program because they couldn't control adults in control of their abilities."

"I don't understand" Claire said, "if they want my baby, why did they let us go?"

"Because they have a way to track you-and they found out the hard way that keeping a pregnant woman in captivity was bad for the baby-most of the early kidnap victims were never seen again. We assumed they found ways to kill themselves."

"So they're panning to come and get the baby-take it away from us." Peter grabbed Claire's hand. "I won't let that promise I swear."

Claire wrapped her arms around her stomach. She looked up at her father.

"Why didn't you warn me this could happen?" She asked, her tone accusatory, "why didn't you tell me?"

Noah leaned forward, grabbed one of Claire's hands. "Claire-bear I never thought this could happen to you I swear." He said emphatically, " I feel sick that this happened to you. They never went after anyone so young. It just must have been…"

"What?" Peter asked, "it must have been what?"

"Peter you have by far the strongest ability that has ever been recorded-possibly that can even exist. Claire's ability is also very strong-it's possible the two of you could never die because of the regeneration. It would have been too much temptation to pass up on making an immortal, very powerful child for them to control and study."

"Oh my god." Claire said, "I'm goanna be sick."

"I can help you Claire" Noah said, leaning forward, "I'm not in the company anymore but I have connects. I can hide you until the baby is born-maybe even after."

"Hide me?" Claire's face was white, her hands shaking, "I couldn't be with my family?"

"Hey, look at me" Peter turned Claire's face to face his, "anywhere you go, I'm going."

Noah looked troubled. "We can make plans later" he said, "but right now it's important that you continue with your routine. There are people watching you, tracking you. I'd like you to stay with me here Claire-bear but you have a plane ticket for tomorrow morning and you have to go."

Claire started crying. Both men moved in to hug her but Peter got there first.

"It's ok Claire, it's ok. I'm going to be with you. No one is going to get our baby."

……..

The next day, as planned, they left. This time first class had no appeal for Claire or Peter, they were too busy worrying. Peter watched every person on the plane, trying to remember if they had been on the plane to California, trying to see if they were being watched. He couldn't tell and it was driving him crazy.

Claire was just tired. Tired of being scared or mad at Peter or worried about kidnappers. She was also tired of pretending she didn't feel for Peter what she felt.

_I'm going to tell him I love him as soon as we get back to New York_

She cast a sidelong glance at him and Peter gave her a tight smile. She fingered the necklace he had given her, remembered how he had sat for hours with his head in her lap, ear against her belly, trying to hear their baby.

_He loves me too. I know he does._

But Claire's plans were messed up by a low pressure system over Chicago, causing a massive snowstorm and grounding every plane flying over Illinois. Peter managed to get them a room in an airport hotel, but it only had one double bed because of the massive number of travelers stranded by the storm.

Peter stared at the bed, wondering if he should volunteer to take the floor. As if she was reading his mind Claire said:

"We can both fit in the bed. It's no big deal."

_Right. It's no big deal. I can sleep in the same bed with Claire for one night. It's fine._

They lay down, both of them extremely conscious that they had yet to discuss the almost kiss in Claire's bedroom more than a week ago. Peter turned out the lights using telekinesis and wondered about putting a pillow between them. But before he could ask Claire if she would like that he heard the slow regular breathing of sleep.

It took him a while but he nodded off too.

…….

Peter woke up in the half-light of a stormy dawn. The room was almost pitch back but he could make out the shadow of Claire's side as she turned over to face him. Her hair seemed like a candle, lighting up the immediate space around it.

"Morning" He said, his heart beating fast. She was so close, so very close to him. She hadn't been this close since that day…

"I had a dream" she said, her voice soft with sleep.

"Me too."

"Mine was about you. I have it every night."

"I do too."

"You know, Peter" Claire moved closer to him, pulling the scratchy hotel blanket with her, "when I told West that you and me…what we have, was destiny, you didn't say it wasn't."

His throat was dry, his lips were dry. He wanted to touch her so badly. "I didn't." he agreed.

"Why not?" She asked, moving a little bit closer.

"Because I didn't need to see the future to know that we were meant to be together. I knew that the first time I saw you."

He could barely see her smile in the grey light. "You wanna know a secret Peter?"

"Sure."

"That night at homecoming" her finger was tracing a path on the sheets, slowly moving towards his chest, "I bumped into you on purpose."

Now he really couldn't breathe. "Why'd you do that?"

He could see the word forming on her lips before she said it and that. Was. It.

_Trust your instincts... _

He leaned in, the extra half an inch that separated them and kissed her. He couldn't read lips but he could feel the word she was going to say as her lips moved against his, taste it in his mouth, feel it under his fingers as they moved along her cheekbone, sense her fingers spelling it out against his chest and hear it in the sighs and groans they both made as they fitted their bodies together.

It was destiny, the two of them. It always was, always would be.

……

To be continued….

A/N: No that is not all there is! So, next chapter, my first attempt at a sex scene. Actually pretty much the whole next chapter will be smut. In fact there will be a rating change from T to M! I'm about to venture into realms I've never ventured into before (when it comes to writing) so I'll need a lot of support. Remember, the faster (and more) you review, the faster I write. And I really should be doing homework so the reviews really do influence my speed.

Also the fake Stonehenge is at a place called Maryhill in the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. I've been there a million times, it's very cool.

And I know the Peter Parker thing was in some other story I read but it's such an obvious choice for an alias for Peter, and I did think of it on my own before I remembered that story.

Review Review Review!!!


	7. Chapter 6

**Author's Note**: I think I've finally done a good job switching perspectives. It goes Claire, Peter, Claire, Peter. Once again, Claire's thoughts are in _italics_, Peter's thoughts are _underlined italics_.

As you may or may not know this is my very first attempt at writing a sex scene. So I need to know, is it bad, good, awful, amazing….feedback is what I need people. Please be gentle.

Thanks to all my lovely reviews-you're too kind people. I'm sorry it took me so long to post this chapter, I've been pretty sick (I may have a brain tumor, so if you pray or something, I could use it.)

Ok, without further ado…

**Trinity**

**Chapter Six**

Claire sighed and shifted, snuggling herself so she was under Peter's torso. Outside the light was still muted by the storm, but enough of it came through the unsheltered windows that she could see his face clearly.

He shifted as she did, moving slightly over her and propping himself on his elbows, trying not to crush her. Their kiss, their very first kiss, ended, leaving them both a little breathless. Claire looked up at him trying to decipher the expression on his face. Happiness, she decided, with a little bit of wonder mixed in.

She smiled. Peter traced her lips with a careful finger, dropping down slightly so he was even closer to her.

"You're happy" he said, and he sounded astounded.

Claire felt like saying duh! Felt like calling him stupid, felt like asking him why they hadn't been doing this since the very first second they met. Instead she reached up with both her hands, grabbed his head and pulled it down to her own, kissing him again. She ran her fingers through his hair, memorizing the contours of his scalp, the feel of his hair so thick and silky. He told her that their daughter had his hair.

She deepened the kiss, molding her lower body to his. He groaned- a completely delicious sound and a totally non-sexual thrill ran through her. She had the power to make him feel like this.

_He wants me. He wants me he wants me he wants me._

But just as she ran her downs his back, trying to pull him closer he pulled away.

_No Peter. Don't freak out on me now._

"Are you sure?" and he was practically panting so her worry vanished. "Are you sure you wanna do this? Because I don't think there's a way to go back from this." And she knew he wasn't just talking about the sex.

"I'm sure." Claire said, tracing his face, his cheekbones, feeling the slight stubble on her fingertip. "You have no idea how sure I am."

"I think I do." He said, grabbing her hand and kissing each of her fingers.

"Good." Claire still had the leg muscles of a cheerleader-all that jumping and lifting formed some pretty strong legs-and she used them, wrapping them around Peter's waist and flipping him over. They almost fell off the bed but a last minute grab for the headboard halted their descent. Underneath her now, Peter sat up, so they where lip to lip, hip to hip, groin to groin. "Because you have _no idea_ how horny being pregnant makes me."

Peter laughed and she realized this was the most genuine, happy sound she had heard from him in almost two weeks.

"So it's just that I'm available. I'm a sex toy."

They were both fully clothed, having been too tired and awkward the night before to get out pajamas. Claire grabbed the edge of his shirt, nudged him into lifting his arms up and pulled it over his head.

_God he's beautiful._

Claire wasn't aware of it but her breathing sped up a little. She traced her fingers down his chest, slowly like she was touching some fine fabric and wanted the full sensory experience.

_It is amazing how much a finger tip can feel_, she decided.

"Pretty much" she said, but words were between kisses now, "you're here, I'm here, we're already in bed…"

"It really would be a shame to waste this opportunity" Peter murmured, lifting the hem of her shirt. She raised her arms and it was off. He kissed her shoulder. "You know it's really not fair that you have more clothes on than me." He said, fingering her bra strap.

"Then by all means" she said, tilting her a little so he could kiss her neck. "Take it off."

Peter raised his head, looked her in the eye. His playful, sultry expression was gone. "We don't have to do this you know." He brushed her hair out of her face, "now or ever. It's totally up to you."

The sentiment was sweet, but Claire was at _that stage_ of being pregnant. "Peter" she grasped his belt buckle and he moaned, "did you not hear what I just said?"

"I did" he said, and she could see him struggling for even breaths.

_But you're scared_, she realized, _more scared than I am and I've never even had sex._

She kissed his forehead. "Peter I want you to do something for me."

"Anything."

"I want you to read my mind."

His eyebrow raised, she could tell he was spectacle. "Are you sure?"

"I want you to know what I'm thinking; I want us to be on the same page."

"Ok."

She couldn't feel it, or anything, when he accessed Parkman's power, but the change in his facial expression told her it was working.

_Touch me touch me touch me_, she thought, blushing a little, _I want to be as close to you as I can possibly get._

So he touched her, stroked her, kissed every inch of skin he could reach and she did the same. Their clothes came off fast, fingers almost sparking when they touched each other's skin.

Finally they were naked, her kneeling above him, legs on either side of his. She could feel him, hard as a rock against her thigh but had a moment of extreme shyness and didn't actually look down.

Peter picked up on it. "If you want to stop" he said, his voice now so husky with lust it was almost unrecognizable, "its ok. I'll just go get in a really long cold shower. Or jump to Siberia."

_No!_ She thought the words, because she couldn't speak, _don't stop. Don't ever stop._

She rocked her hips against his, feeling him so hard and so close to her and a jolt of pure sensation went through her, running all the way from her head to her toes. She gasped, arched her back and beneath her Peter groaned and buried his head in her breasts, kissing them and running his hands over her hips. She rocked into him again and now she was just one huge nerve ending and every touch, even the fabric of the blanket beneath her feet made her moan. Inside she felt just one huge ache and hollow feeling and she wanted him inside her so badly she wanted to scream or cry or throw something and Peter obviously picked up on the thought because he flipped her over and now he was on top and he kissed her, a long lingering kiss and pushed inside.

Claire couldn't remember the last time she had felt pain and briefly something another cheerleader had told her about her first time being like having sex with sandpaper flashed through her mind but she shouldn't even have thought it. It didn't hurt, having him inside of her, it filled her, brought her closer to him. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him deeper.

Peter held stock still for a minute, posed above Claire. He pressed his forehead down onto hers. "Hold my heart" he said, taking one of her hands and putting it on his chest, "tell me if it stops."

For a minute she did hold his heart, feeling it beat put then he thrust into her again and she grabbed his shoulders, wrapping herself around him in every way she could. He thrust into her again she pushed back this time and heard him hiss. She scratched his shoulders and watched the wound heal before her eyes. His lips where everywhere, her face, her shoulders, breasts, neck, lips.

Soon Claire's thoughts turned incoherent and she was sort of aware that she was gasping "please" over and over but she didn't even know what she was asking for. She thrust hard against him and then everything in her tightened up and released and waves of pure pleasure washed over causing her to curl her toes into the sheets. Above her Peter seized up and gritted his teeth and she could feel sinking even deeper into her. He groaned and it was the sexiest sound she had ever heard.

Once, twice more he pushed into her and then he stopped, lowering himself down to her and kissing her, full on the lips, a long exploration of each other's mouths and tongues. He started to pull away a little and take his wait off of her but she wasn't having any of that. She unwrapped her arms from his neck and grabbing both of his arms, knocked him down and onto her.

_If you move I'll kill you_ she thought because she didn't have the breath to speak.

So he didn't, just kissed her face while she closed her eyes. And when she opened them she noticed that they were covered in a warm orange glow.

"Look Peter" she said, turning his head towards the window, "the sun came out."

And Peter looked her and she looked at him and for no reason and for every reason, they both burst in to peals joyous laughter.

……..

Peter absentmindedly twirled a strand of Claire's hair around his finger. She was half asleep, her head on his chest, smile on her face.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked, raising her head and looking into his eyes.

"I am…." Peter couldn't find words but he was smiling, "amazed. For weeks I've been feeling like this perverted incestuous pedophile and..."

"Aphenaphile" Claire said, "It means you have a sexual predilection for adolescents. I looked it up. But I don't really think it applies because I'm almost seventeen."

"Also I'm not attracted to any other almost seventeen year old. But what I was thinking was that you look beautiful when you're almost sleeping. What are you thinking about?"

"I'm wondering what made you change your mind." Claire said, pulling away slightly and leaving Peter feeling slightly bereft, "Because last week you totally freaked out because we _almost_ kissed, and we've just done _a lot_ more than kissing."

Peter grabbed Claire's arm and pulled her back so she was almost on top of him. "I was scared." He said, stroking her head, "ever since I met you I've been fighting these feelings I have for someone was way too young for me, and then I found out Nathan was your biological father and…I just thought if I ignored it then it would go away. But it just got worse and now…now you're having my baby. No matter how many times I tried to force some kind of familial feeling for you, I just couldn't. I don't feel like we're related. There was a reason I was sent to save you that night-and I don't think it was to reunite you with Nathan. Besides," his smiled down on Claire, "I love you. I'm in love with you."

Claire's smile could have been used to harness energy for third world countries. Or California. "I love you too." She said, and leaned over and kissed him.

"Of course we're still going to hell" Peter said when the kiss ended.

"No." Claire shook her head. "This isn't wrong, I know it isn't. You are not my uncle, I have an uncle, his name is Steve and he owns a liquor store in Florida and gives me nuggies."

"But Nathan_ is_ your father."

"No, he isn't. Noah is my father, he raised me, loved me. Nathan, even when he found out I was alive, just wanted me to go away unless I was good for publicity."

"That's not fair" Peter said, "He does care about you."

"I know" Claire said, putting her head back down on Peter's chest, "but he'll never be my father. It's just blood Peter" she looked up at him, "and if we're really going to live forever I don't want to be alone."

"I don't want to be alone either" Peter said. He put his hand on her naked stomach, where a tiny bump was just starting to form. "But even if we were both going to die tomorrow I'd still want you."

This earned him another blinding smile and a kiss.

Claire broke apart. "How's this going to work?" she asked, frowning just a little, "I want to be with you. I want to raise this baby with you and live with you and marry you…" she trailed off, looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry, is that too much?"

"No." Peter laughed. "I feel the same way. If we're going to be crazy we might as well go all the way." He thought about what he had seen in the future, the rings, the coming baby…

_Maybe I should tell her now._

Claire gave him a sad smile. "At least while we're in hiding we'll be together."

_Nope. Now is not the time._

"Hey" Peter said, kissing her forehead, "we're going to figure this out. I'm your hero remember?"

This earned him a laugh and a smile and pretty soon one thing lead to another and they missed their flight out.

……..

When they finally got to Petrelli mansion some twelve hours later (only four of which could reasonably be attributed to airplanes or airports) Claire was a little worried about how to act around everyone. She felt happy, so scarily happy that she must be shining like Peter did before he exploded. She was sure that she would walk into the mansion and what had happened would be written on her skin and everyone would see it and Nathan would try to kill Peter again.

"He won't notice." Peter said, grabbing her hand for the last time before they got to the mansion. "But you do look happy."

_You're still reading my mind, aren't you?_

"Yup. You want me to stop?" Claire was pretty sure the taxi driver was a little weirded out by the one sided conversation.

"Umm….I don't know. I kind of like it." Claire smiled, "besides we may need an alternate means of communication."

"We're just going to act normal" Peter said, "and everything will be fine."

Claire considered this. "Ok." She grabbed Peter, pushed him back into the cracked Taxi seat and kissed him as hard as she could, right in front of the Petrelli mansion. "Last kiss" she said.

"Right." Peter gulped for air, paid the taxi driver. "That was probably a good idea."

They walked up to the mansion hand in hand, and dropped the connection as Peter pushed open the door. Claire had never really gotten over the knocking to be let in thing. It had never felt like home to her.

"Me neither." Peter said, "I miss my apartment."

"You might not want to do that in front of people."

But before Peter could reply Nathan came around the corner, a strange expression on his face. For a minute Claire had a horrible thought: _he knows_. Bu then he opened his mouth.

"Noah Bennett called me." He said, expression grim as he grabbed Claire's bags, "he filled me in on the situation."

"Wow." Peter said, pushing Claire through the door and into the warmth of the mansion. "That was fast. No nice to see you? How was your trip? How was your layover?"

_Oh God Peter! Just spell it out for him why don't you_? Claire thought, tapping her foot hard on the floor. Peter shot her a "sorry" expression and Nathan had a suspicious look on his face.

"Nice to see you. How was your trip? How was your layover? Peter we have to deal with this right now. There are very dangerous people out there and they want my granddaughter..."

"My daughter" Peter cut in.

Nathan held up a hand. "Don't remind me. The point is Noah and I have discussed places where we can hide you until we've managed to fix this situation. Claire needs to leave tomorrow."

Claire started to open her mouth, wanted to say _No way!_ Or at least, _not alone!_ But Peter beat her to it.

"I'm going with her." Peter sounded angry, his face was set. Claire sent him a thought. _Calm down, of course you're coming with me._

"Peter..." Nathan looked-well she couldn't decipher his facial expression. Nathan was a politician for a reason.

"It's not an option." Peter said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Anywhere Claire goes, I go. She'll need someone to take care of her medically anyway."

All of a sudden Claire was exhausted, dizzy. She sat down on the chair next to the door and listened to Peter and Nathan fight it out. Heidi came down the stairs.

She walked over to Claire, crouched down in front of her. "You ok honey?" she asked, putting her hand on Claire's forehead.

"Yeah." Claire said, touched by the older woman's concern. She was the closest she had to a mother figure during this pregnancy, since she couldn't tell her own mother. "I'm just tired and kind of dizzy."

"Ok." Heidi stood up; set her mouth in a line. "Nathan, sweetie?" no one answered her, she raised her voice. "Nathan! Peter!"

The brothers stopped fighting and looked at Heidi, slightly stunned. Heidi hardy ever yelled.

"Claire is tired; she is dizzy." Heidi said, gently pulling Claire up from the chair. "I'm taking her to bed. Try and keep the volume down."

_I'm ok_. Claire smiled at Peter, but the expression of concern didn't go away. _I'm just tired. I'll see you in the morning._

"Wait, wait." Peter ran to Claire, touched her arm gently. "If you need me, for anything, I'm just down the hall."

Nathan frowned. "Me too."

"So am I" said Heidi, "I think Claire knows she has all our support. Now she just needs sleep."

Claire smiled gratefully and went up the stairs with her step-mother.

Heidi walked her to her door. "You know" she said, opening the door for Claire, "this situation is strange to say the least, but I always thought that Peter would make a really good father."

"I know he will. I'm just a little worried about what kind of mother I'll be."

Heidi smiled; gave Claire a hug. "You'll be great. You've dealt with this situation with more grace and strength than anyone could have imagined. Now get some sleep. Your baby needs it."

"Yeah." Claire hugged Heidi back, grateful for some sanity. "I'll do that."

…….

Hours later Peter was lying in his bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep. For some reason it was freezing in the mansion, so he crawled under his blankets, but it hadn't helped.

He and Nathan had managed to come to an agreement, Peter would stay with Claire, so he could take care of her medical needs, since they obviously couldn't take Mohinder with them is they were going into hiding. The entire fight had depressed Peter, made him wonder how much Nathan would allow him to be involved in raising this baby.

_You saw the future_, he reminded himself, _you know it works out ok._

_Yeah, but I don't know how._

Peter grabbed a baseball from his night stand, a relic of the one and only game his father had taken him too when he was ten years old, and started tossing it at the ceiling. He wanted to go to Claire's room, just to sleep beside her. But Nathan was already acting suspicious.

_Maybe if I was invisible…_ But then the door creaked open.

_Maybe he's asleep_, he heard, a quiet thought on the edge of his "hearing."

"Claire?" He whispered, not wanting to be heard.

"I'm cold." She was whispering too. "You said if I needed you…"

"Right." Peter smiled, shifted over in bed and lifted the covers. "Clime on in."

Claire's t-shirt shimmered in the little light coming in from the street. She got into bed, slid against Peter. His blood pressure rose a little.

_Bad idea. Really bad idea. Should not have sex 15 feet from Nathan's bedroom. Really bad idea._

Claire wound her feet with his, and he almost flinched away because they were _cold_ but then she leaned over and kissed him, lying on top of Peter's chest.

_Maybe we can be quiet…_

He kissed her back, pulled her down to him. But just when things were getting good she stopped.

"It is really, really cold." She said, laughing a little.

"Shh." Peter put his finger to his lips. "We have to be very quiet. I'll be on top."

Claire giggled and Peter flipped her over. She pulled his shirt over his head, exposing his back to the cold air. He hissed in surprise.

"It is cold. Damm." Peter rolled off Claire, pulled the covers around his cold shoulders. She rolled over against him sideways, kissed him again.

_Remember what I said about how being pregnant makes me horny?_ She thought, the words flitting into his brain, _well that's happening right now._ _Can we find a way to make this work?_

"Good work on being quiet." Peter whispered, kissed her once more and turned her over so her back was facing him; he pulled down her pajama pants, slowly, stroking her legs, and his own.

_You're not…_

"No." He took her underwear off, slipping his fingers inside of her, stroking her gently. Her breath hitched and his speed up a little. Twining their legs together he slipped inside of her, one hand on her hip for leverage and the other stroking her clit. She moaned softy and he kissed the back of her neck, thrusting slowly and stroking her with the same rhythm.

_Ohh… that feels good. _Somehow it was more intimate than any previous sexual experience he had ever had. He was inside of her two different ways, and knowing her thoughts, how she felt, what she wanted without her saying… it was a rush.

He pulled her hips closer to him, thrust in deeper. She moaned again, louder this time and pressed his mouth against her ear.

"You have to be quiet." He said, kissing ear lope, her neck, her hair, "very bad things will happen if you're not."

_I can't._ She moaned at the same time, making him even harder. _It's too…_ "Ohh…"

Peter swore softly, but it wasn't because of the noise. He switched hands, gently putting the one he had been stroking her with over her mouth. The act made him feel vaguely perverted but then she started to lick his fingers, drawing one into her mouth and sucking on it with the same rhythm he was thrusting to.

And it was too much, just too much. He pulled her hips tighter, as close as he could get to his own and thrust hard. Taking his hand away from her mouth he kissed her, swallowing up her moans and muffling his own.

He could feel her coming at the same time he did, getting tighter around him. She kissed him back hard.

"Thank you" she said, softly, "I'm all warm now."

Peter laughed a little as he pulled out, helped her put her clothes back on pulled her to his chest. "Sleep in here for a while" he kissed her forehead, "I'll wake you up in time."

…….

Claire managed to sneak out of Peter's room before Nathan woke up, showered put on new pajamas and hopped back in to her own bed. But it was cold and she couldn't seep without Peter beside her. She lay in bed for hours gently rubbing her belly, trying to see if she could feel with her hand the little flutters of the baby she felt inside.

When she finally got up and went downstairs she found that Nathan and Peter had beaten her. They were both dressed, sitting with coffee and looking disgruntled. Heidi was still in her bathrobe and looked too sleepy to have been up for long.

"Claire" Nathan stood up when she came in, gave her his spot on the car, "we've just come up with a solution."

_What are you going to cut me in half?_

Peter laughed into his coffee. "We found a place where we can live until the baby is born" he said, half choking on his drink, "it has no connections with the Petrelli family at all, so it should be safe."

Heidi grabbed her hand and smiled at her. "I know this will be hard Claire but Nathan and I will come to visit."

"How can you do that without giving away where we are?"

"We're getting fake names." Peter said, "Fake jobs, new social security numbers. I'm going to med school."

He didn't look happy.

"Don't you like being a nurse?" Claire made a grab for the coffee but everyone moved to swipe it away from her. She frowned.

_This no caffeine thing sucks!_

"They'll be looking for a teenage girl and a male nurse" Nathan said, "who are uncle and niece. So Peter will be a med student, you'll be a stay at home wife."

"Oh yeah" Peter said, "We're getting married."

"Not for real." Heidi said. "It's just on paper. And we got you wedding rings."

Claire tried not to smile, tried not to let the enormous happiness that filled her overflow. Ok they were going into hiding that kind of sucked. But it would be just her and Peter all alone, not having to hide what they felt. It was an amazing thought.

Peter picked up on her thought and smiled at her. He pulled a jewelry box out of his pocket and opened it. Inside were three rings.

She gave him her hand. Onto her ring finger he slipped a diamond engagement ring and a platinum wedding band. She put the man's wedding band on his finger.

Nathan stared and frowned.

……

Later that afternoon they were on a plane to Portland Oregon.

…..

To be continued….

**A/N**: Ok, I said this chapter would be all smut, and all smut it is. Let me know what you think. If ever I needed a boost of confidence, I needed it now-remember reviews help me write faster.

I'm going to try and post at least once a week from now on. There are about three more chapters and an epilogue.

Next chapter: Peter and Claire set up house in Portland. It will be fuzzy and cute-a veritable Paire feast.

Review, review, review…..


	8. Chapter 7

**Author's note: **I am so sorry it took me so long to post this chapter-I'm in finals week and things are hectic! This chapter, as promised, is pure fluff. No more explicit sex for those of you who don't want to read that, though it may return in later chapters. Thanks so much to everyone for all lovely and helpful reviews I got –that was my most reviewed chapter by far! I wonder if this means you get more reviews for sex, or if it's just because I took so long to post again….

I am a little confused about some of the reviews though. If you find the Peter/Claire sickening then why do you read stories where they're related? I admit to having the same feelings sometime, and will probably write a story someday where they aren't related, but for now they are. Remember they baby has 75 of the same DNA-no one was adopted in this situation. If you don't like it, that's your choice.

And good news. I don't have a brain tumor! Thank you everyone who thought of me. I really appreciated the support, even if it was through the internet.

Also I forgot to mention a line in chapter six if from a book called "The Drums of Autumn" by Diana Gabaldon. If you can name the line, you get a prize I'll give you a hint: it's something Peter says.

And I never disclaimed. I do not own Heroes or The Invisible Man (If you can tell me why I included the invisible man you get a prize) I never have, I never will. I don't own any of the characters in this story except for Laura and she's hardly worth owning.

One more time, Claire's thoughts are in _italics,_ Peter's in _underlined italics_ and notes are in **bold print**.

So here is chapter seven. It's kind of short and all fluff with no real content that moves the story forward. I needed to burn up pregnancy time for Claire. Enjoy the chapter and please review I write so much faster if you do….

**Trinity**

**Chapter Seven**

Peter moved around his airplane seat, trying to fine a comfortable way to sit. Noah Bennett had told Nathan that Peter and Claire Parker would have to travel completely differently from how Peter Petrelli and Claire Bennett did. So they were still on a plane, just in the coach section. Which had _much_ smaller seats.

Beside him Claire was alternating between staring at strands of her now dark brown hair and twirling her wedding ring. He knew she wasn't happy about the hair decision but her natural blond curls where just too distinctive. She would blend in much better this way.

Claire smiled at him, obviously catching him staring.

_If you really do grow a beard like Nathan and my Dad want you to, I'm never looking at your face again._

Peter laughed. "Don't worry" he said, shifting again in his seat, "I'm just going to grow my hair out. I think everything else is covert enough."

Before they left Manhattan Nathan had given them each fake I.D, social security cards, credit cards that had a history built in of things Claire and Peter Parker had purchased. Their ages had been changed (Claire was now 23, Peter was 25), all new clothing had been bought, stuff that wasn't as high quality as what they owned because the Parker's weren't rich. They even had new suitcases, watches, cell phones and makeup for Claire. The only thing they had been allowed to keep was Claire's pendant necklace, and that was because she had refused to part with it.

_I guess sometimes it pays off to have mob connections_ Peter mused. Nathan had been very strict about the new cell phones-they were for calls to each other and the people they would meet in Oregon and that was it. If they needed to contact the Petrelli's or the Bennett's they had to drive at least 50 miles from where they were staying and buy a disposable phone with cash. Then Peter had pointed out that he could just go invisible and steal one if it was an emergency and then use Micah Sander's power to activate it.

Peter was, to his chagrin, already enrolled at OHSU, the Oregon health sciences university, as a first year pre-med student. This annoyed him because he had been perfectly happy being a nurse and suspected that this particular aspect of their cover was more for Angela's benefit than any safety concerns. Also he hadn't been thrilled with the idea of leaving Claire alone all day everyday. This concern had been voiced, and now Claire had a job in the university admissions department, as well as fake high school diploma, Bachelors degree is business administration and job history.

Back at the mansion Claire had protested this. "How am I supposed to know what to do?" She asked. "I don't even know what business administration is!"

"All you have to do is ask people why they want to go to school there and fill out a form." Heidi said soothingly. "It's a very easy job and this way Peter will always be near you in case something happens or someone shows up."

"You mean if someone tries to take my baby."

"No." Peter grabbed Claire's hand and frowned a little as her ring cut into his palm. "I won't let that happen. No matter what I have to do."

Claire had smiled but Peter could tell she was still worried. She was shifting in her seat almost as much as Peter was, but she was small enough to fit in a coach seat so there had to be another reason.

"Are you scared?" He asked.

"A little" Claire said, reaching out and holding hid hand. "But mostly I'm happy. Because now I can do stuff like this," she leaned over and kissed him, a real kiss not one of those polite "we're in public" kisses, "anytime I want."

"Ohh" The lady across the aisle, an older, grandmother type put down her in-flight magazine and leaned towards them. "You two newlyweds?"

According to their fake marriage license they had been married for six months, which Peter liked because it meant that his alter ego hadn't married Claire's alter ego just because she was pregnant.

Claire leaned across Peter, held out her ring for inspection. "Six months today" she said, sounding proud. Peter grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles, smiling at the woman.

Inside he was worried. If they were being tracked, and Noah said they definitely were, then any person who approached them could be a part of this Chrysalis organization.

Claire obvious could tell what he was thinking._ She's old, _the thought came into his head_, and my dad said that they're genetically altered to be young. I think she's just a nosy woman. Besides we're different now._

Peter wished that Claire could read his mind, or that Parkman's ability worked two ways. Luckily he had brought a notepad.

**That reminds me**, he wrote, **Mohinder figured out what kind of ability our daughter has**.

"Oh." The old woman said, sounding disappointed, "you two don't want to talk to me. I always but in. I'll leave you alone."

"Sorry." Claire said, still leaning over Peter. He could smell her shampoo and the lingering sent of the hair die, "it's just that this is kind of our honeymoon. We had to delay it because of my college graduation."

"Oh!" The old woman's face lit up, she was probably happy to have someone to talk to Peter mused. "How old are the two of you?"

"I'm 23 and my silent husband here is 25. My name is Claire Parker and this is Peter."

"Well it's nice to meet you. I'll leave you alone."

Peter smiled. Claire turned back to him.

_So what's she got?_ Claire asked silently._ Super speed, the ability to walk on water, speak with animals? Or is she like us-immortal?_

**Actually, she's kind of like me. **Peter wrote,** she has the sponge thing going on, but apparently while I get sick and blow up if I'm accessing too many abilities at once, she could keep any number of them going at the same time. So she already regenerates, because she got that from being near-well, inside of you. **

Claire frowned. Peter reached out and grabbed her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

_Is this good?_ Claire went back to fiddling with her wedding ring. _Or bad? I mean, you're like, super powerful, so doesn't that make her even more desirable to…kidnap?_

**I don't know,** Peter wrote, **but she'll never be in a coma, or be sick a day in her life. She may live forever, Mohinder said we probably will. And the people who want her, they don't have her DNA, just the possibility of what a child that is yours and mine might be like.**

"She needs a name" Claire spoke out loud this time, "we can't just keep calling her 'her.' I mean, it's less than six months now until she's born."

The woman across the aisle perked up- obviously she'd been listening in. Peter frowned. Maybe she was a threat. "Are you two having a baby?" she asked, "when's it due?"

This time Peter answered. "The end of May" he said, putting into his tone that he didn't want her to keep butting in.

_I want to talk to her_ Claire thought, giving him a look. _She's not dangerous, just lonely._

Peter sighed, and switched seats with Claire. Just to be safe he dipped into the old ladies thoughts, but they were perfectly pleasant, somewhat wistful meanderings on time and how young he and Claire seemed.

_Well it's nice that someone doesn't think I'm a pedophile._

Peter moved around in his seat again, trying to get comfortable. There was even less room now that he wasn't on the aisle.

It was going to be a looong flight.

………

Claire stood on the sidewalk in front of their new house, staring. It was beautiful. Nathan had set them up in the northwest section of Portland, which he said was very trendy-a young married couple wouldn't stick out at all. The house they had, Peter said, was called a painted lady. It was an old, narrow, Victorian style house that was painted a deep rose with yellow trim, lavender shutters and a bright green door. It looked like something out a fairy tale, like someone had gone crazy with color. The effect was bright and cheerful and made her laugh.

"You like it?" Peter asked, looking dubiously at the purple shutters.

"I love it!" Claire squealed, running up the steps to the porch. "It's beautiful and it's huge-but not huge like the mansion, huge in a friendly way. What are we going to do with all these rooms?"

"Wait." Peter ran up behind her and with one quick motion, picked Claire up and put an arm under her knees. Using telekinesis he picked the lock on the front door and shoved it in. Claire laughed and kissed his cheek as he carried her over the threshold.

Peter set her down and blushed a little. "We are supposed to be married" he said, looking sheepish, "we better sell it to the neighbors."

Peter went out to grab their bags and didn't see Claire's smile falter a little. Peter's words reminded her that none of this was real. They weren't really married, or really living on their own. They were in hiding because the people who got her pregnant (who truth be told she had trouble being upset with for the insemination now) wanted her baby.

She shook her head, trying not to think about it. Her now brown, completely strait hair fell into her face. And then she remembered.

_Laura._

_Is she even his girlfriend now? She couldn't be right? He told me he loves me and we're going to be here all alone until June at leas. But I don't know when he could have broken up with her-we've been together non-stop for almost two days..._

The thought of Peter's girlfriend made her feel slightly nauseous. She had tried so hard when he started dating Laura to not let it bother her, but from the beginning she resented Laura and the time Peter spent with her. And that was before she had realized she was in love with him.

Suddenly there were warm hands on her shoulders, kneading the tension out of them. It felt so good that Claire groaned a little. Turning she pulled Peter's arms so they were around her waist and kissed him, a long, hard extremely possessive kiss.

_You're mine now._ She thought, forgetting that he was listening in; _no one else can have you._

"Am I yours?" Peter sounded amused. "I didn't realize I was property now."

Claire scowled at him. "You're mine and I'm yours" she said. The frown fell from her face and she kissed him again, this time a sweet almost chaste kiss that left both of them breathless anyway.

Peter started to push her towards a wall, ran his hands down her body. It felt good-oh it felt good, but she wanted to talk.

"Peter" she turned her head away so he kissed her neck instead, "Peter there's something I have to ask you."

"Humm?" Peter seemed more interested in shedding their coats and puling her dress shirt out of the waistband of her jeans than talking. His fingers were so talented that even the little contact they had with the thin skin above her hip bones made her want to forget all about Laura and go find a bed. But thinking Laura's name brought it up again to the forefront of her mind.

"Peter, what did you do about Laura?"

Peter stopped his hands and she mentally cursed. The sex from the past few days had soo not been enough to make up for the four months of pregnancy enhanced hornyness she had went through. She knew she was basically sex crazed now but she couldn't help hormones and Peter seemed happy to feed her addiction. He stepped back and she leaned back against the wall, feeling cold and lonely suddenly.

"I broke up with her." He said and a guilty expression crossed his face. "This morning, when you were still in bed I went to her place and ended it."

Claire felt cold all of a sudden, and very, very young. She hadn't made an effort to get to know Laura very well, and even if she had when Peter was dating her (before they found out she was pregnant) they'd spent most of their time out or at her place (which Nathan thought was probably safe from potential kidnappers) She knew that they'd been seeping together and…

"Hey" Peter lifted her chin gently, brushed her new bangs out of her eyes. "The only reason I was ever with Laura was to keep my mind off of you. She was your complete opposite-I felt like I'd go insane the entire time I was dating her because I felt so guilty. I used her, and she deserved a lot better. But I love you. Only you."

This made Claire smile. She hugged Peter, resting her head against his shoulder and breathing in his new scent (They'd had to buy a new, cheaper perfumes, aftershaves, colognes, even deodorant. Her father had been adamant that nothing they had in their house should be traceable back to the Petrelli's or the Bennett's. So now Peter smelled a little like citrus, with the always present overlay of Coffee. It was a great smell.

"If you're done sniffing my shirt" Peter said, with laughter in his eyes, "do you want to explore the house?"

Claire did, very much.

……..

The house was deceptively large from what could be seen on the outside. It had three full stories, a basement and an attic. Other such houses around them had offices of doctors and lawyers, or were shared with roommates and extended family. But because of their situation, "the Parkers" had apparently spent every penny on this house.

"Because we want something to grow old in" Peter told a fellow student on his first day of medical school, "someplace where we can raise all our children, and they can live in it once we're gone."

Of course he knew they'd, in all likelihood, never be gone.

They got a dog at the pound, a half border collie, half whippet named Charlie, even though she was a girl. Peter had never had a dog before and Claire's experience with Mr. Muggles hadn't left her with a high opinion of the species but Charlie was special. And Peter said she needed to exercise to be in shape for the birth, since she couldn't go to the hospital and get drugs and the better shape she was in, the easier it would be.

From the very beginning Claire loved the attic. It was more of a forth floor with short ceilings really, with several rooms and a bathroom, and it got fabulous light from huge floor to ceiling French windows that, because the house was on a hill, gave a great view of the river.

"I want this to be the baby's room" Claire said, twirling around, arms open as if embracing the house, trying not to trip over Charlie "except I don't think I could ever be so far away from her."

"Lots of parents have their babies in their room-their bed even" Peter liked this idea. Him, Claire and the baby (who still didn't have a name) all curled up in their big bed on the second floor, which also got great light and had a little balcony, which was really the garages flat roof with a railing around it.

There were too many rooms for them, really. They didn't use the third floor at all, and only came up to the attic to watch the sunset, or sometimes Peter would study there. They didn't even bother with setting up two bedrooms, or buying two beds. For the first few weeks there was such a strong sexual attraction, so much tension that had built up starting when they first met that pretty much al they did was have sex. The whole house got christened. Not that Peter was complaining.

Though he didn't especially like the idea of med school at first it grew on him. For all that he was the family dreamer; Peter had a mind for science. Claire was not as pleased with her job, because she said it was boring as hell, but because of their work locations they could eat lunch together everyday. Or drive home for a quickie.

Months passed and there was no sign of people watching them, or anyone suspicious or dangerous. Still to be cautious neither of them reached out to make friends, or became involved with coworkers, fellow students or neighbors beyond what was polite. Though they had both been social people in their lives before, with lots of friends and a devotion to family, now they found all they needed was each other.

It was an idyllic existence. No one knew them, and so there were no strange looks, no questions about why exactly an uncle was treating his niece like _that_. Everyone they met (and they met a lot of people because Portland was a friendly town) thought they were a cut young, happily married couple expecting their first child. Claire's birthday came and went, as did Peter's.

They learned more about each other than Peter had thought was possible. Every little habit of Claire's, even the irritating ones, he knew. He knew her tastes in everything from yogurt to nail polish. Her favorite book, movie, and the first time she had realized she was different. Eventually she even broke down and told him about Brody.

It was late February. They had just had sex and were lying, covered in sweat in their bed. The winter sunlight, which was so piercing that it hurt your eyes, was coming through the window and making the white sheets even whiter. With one hand Peter had been idly twirling a strand of Claire's hair around his finger. It was morning and she hadn't straitened it yet so even though it was brown, it was curly. He liked the combination. The other hand was resting on top of Claire's belly, which now, at almost six months had a bump that even strategically planned clothing couldn't hide.

His hand reached down to rub her neck and as he moved his finger to a certain spot she gasped and pulled away.

"What is it?" Peter snapped into nurse mode immediately. "Is something wrong, does something hurt? Is it the baby?"

"No" Claire looked ashamed, a little bewildered. "No, it's just…"

Peter grabbed her gently, pulled her into his arms. "You can tell me" he said, in his best supportive voice, "you can tell me anything."

Claire snuggled against his chest, eyes downcast. "A little while before homecoming" she started her voice expressionless, "there was a victory party for the football team. I had a crush on the quarterback-his name was Brody and he liked me too. So at this party, he got me a beer and we went to the bleachers to…talk."

Peter didn't like the way this was going. "I went to high school too Claire" he said, gently turning her face towards his, "Is this going where I think it is?"

"Sort of." Claire blushed and Peter's heart lurched. Maybe he could jump to wherever this Brody was and kill him. "He wanted me to…and I wasn't ready to, and he started to hold me down, he wouldn't let go of me…" Now silent tears were running down her beautiful face. Peter wiped them away gently with his thumb. "I kind of got away but he pushed me, or I fell or tripped or something because the next thing I knew I was…cut open completely on an autopsy table and there was this giant stick in my head. I guess the doctor pulled it out because I was alive again and I had to...put myself back together and steal a lab coat and run home."

"Oh Claire." Peter hugged her, stroking her back in a non-sexual way. He had no idea she had went through something like this. "Is that why you told me dieing is no big deal?"

"Yeah." Claire shifted closer to Peter, letting him rub her back more. "But there's more to it. I found out he'd done it to someone else-raped her. So the next day at school seeing me totally freaked him out because he'd dumped my body the night before, and I flirted with him and got him to let me drive his car. And I drove it headfirst into a wall as fast as I could."

"The bastard deserved it" Peter said grimly. He still wanted to go kill him.

Against him Claire arched her back and made a surprised exclamation. Peter snapped back into nurse mode again. "What's wrong? Is it the baby? Did I upset you?"

"No" Claire said, and she was smiling so brightly Peter felt blinded, "the baby just kicked."

Peter reached his hand over and laid it on her stomach, not asking because they were so close now he didn't need to. Under his hand he felt it, a tiny little kick against his hand. He could even feel the shape of afoot beneath Claire's skin.

"Wow" he said, not realizing that there were tears in his eyes. "This is, this is the most amazing thing ever." He rested his head on her belly and he could hear the baby moving around, feel its kicks and punches against his head.

"I Know" Claire said, and they stayed like that, grinning like fools for quite some time.

………

In April when she was eight months pregnant Claire took maternity leave from her job. Peter took a semester off also, to be with her. Since he'd been acting as her doctor for months now he had to be with her when the baby came, and he'd told her that most women who had children young delivered a little early.

Peter had set up the attic room she liked so much with a rocking chair, a couch and a whole slew of books. Claire thought the room was too special to spoil with a television. She sat for hours, watching the trees and the squirrels and birds and the boats on the river, Charlie curled up at her feet.

It amazed her how happy she was. She should have been at school, thinking about applying for colleges and instead she was about to have her first child. But she couldn't wait. Life with Peter had been amazing these past months and it was so easy to sip into the life of Claire Parker, admissions officer to a medical school, newlywed and expecting mother. In their total isolation from anyone who knew them she had Peter had become even closer. She felt she knew everything about him now, and even if she couldn't read minds, she always knew what he was thinking.

This knowledge had brought further intimacy. Somewhere along the way they had stopped having sex and started making love, even though she had always found that phrase to be incredibly corny. But it felt true. They communicated through touch now also.

Claire had been just settling down in her attic room, which was so nice it was worth the effort to plod up three flights of stairs, when the doorbell rang. Peter was out getting groceries so she just pulled out a book and hoped they would go away. But t rang again, and again, meaning it wasn't a delivery man dropping off some baby stuff she ordered, or a Jehovah 's Witness.

Sighing Claire pulled herself up. She was so ungraceful lately and it made it hard to get around. But even though she joked about being a whale secretly she loved the way she looked now-bursting full of life. She was nurturing her baby, she was a vessel for its care. It made her feel important as only her ability saving Peter when he exploded had. She wondered if all pregnant women felt this way-so incredibly happy.

Claire walked down the four flights, Charlie following, but was still breathing normally when she got to the ground floor. Pregnancy was no excuse not to stay in good shape after all. Charlie made a good walking companion. And after the baby was born she'd make a good jogging companion.

Claire made one check in the mirror by the door to make sure she looked ok. Peter told her she was glowing now, and it was a cliché but with Claire it happened to be true. She seemed to be exuding light and happiness.

This glow vanished when she opened the door and saw her father, mother, Lyle, Nathan, Heidi and Angela standing on her porch.

…..

To be continued…..

**A/N**: all right folks. I know that one was a little substance less but I needed to fill in pregnancy time. And yes, Claire's attitude is weirdly happy. There is a reason, it will be explained. Next chapter: Everyone is suspicious and the baby is born!

Review, review, review, review…….


	9. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: **I am so sorry it took me so long to update! I've been pretty sick and not really thinking about the story (which was bad I know) so here is chapter eight-the birth chapter!!

It's kind of on the short side and a little weird but I think it works. I realized while writing it that Peter is essentially so powerful now that he could do anything he wanted to-he probably wouldn't because he's a nice guy, but all the same he could, and might, given the right incentive. So that's what happens in this chapter.

And CC wins the quote challenge-either you're a Diana Gabaldon fan or I totally didn't pull off that line. But isn't it a great line? So romantic. OK, so, if you want it, the prize is (drum roll….) give me any quote or plot idea and I will write a one chapter story for you designed around it. If you don't want it, no big deal.

Once more thank you to all of my lovely reviewers. You kind people who take the time to leave a little feedback or positive reinforcement really make my day. I'm shooting for a hundred reviews for the whole story and there's only one chapter (but its looong) and an epilog after this so get to work!

Welcome to chapter eight of trinity. I hope you enjoy.

Claire's thoughts are in _italics_

Peter's thoughts are _underlined italics_

**Trinity**

**Chapter Eight**

If you were a person who knew Peter Petrelli before all the dreams he was having turned true, before he found out his brother could fly and he was a human sponge, before he found out about a certain relative that he didn't feel at all related too, you would say, seeing him in late April of 2008, that he looked exactly the same as he used to. Happy, carefree, slightly dreamy.

Peter hummed as he walked through the grocery store, happily oblivious of all that was happening around him. He had had a great day. He'd gotten his grades from the spring term and had done very well; Claire had woken him up in an extremely sensual sleepy way and spring had finally arrived after the long, cold winter. Life was good.

He stopped in the aisle that was full of little odds and ends-picture frames, incense, candles. He grabbed a frame, because they took so many pictures that the whole house was covered with them. They took day trips, now that they were both just waiting for the baby to be born. They went to the coast and built a sandcastle, to the mountains were they went swimming in a lake, pretty much everywhere within four hours of their house. Peter initially hadn't been too pleased about all that moving around when Claire could go into labor anytime, but she got restless just being inside all day, so off they went. He also grabbed a rose scented candle for Claire's little attic room.

Still humming Peter paid, left the store and walked home. It was such a pretty day, maybe he would take Claire out to the countryside…

What he saw on his front porch made him stop humming.

……..

Noah had had a tough four months since Christmas. He knew where his daughter was, but his wife didn't. He couldn't explain why she didn't call them, why there was nothing in the news about her anymore (Sandra saved all the little tidbits that the political and society press wrote about Claire.) For months Sandra and ranted about how her little girl had changed since moving to the big city, how she had forgotten her real family and only loved her non- adopted one. Sometimes Sandra broke down and cried. And Lye seemed lost in a word of video games and chat rooms. Even Mr. Muggles seemed a little depressed. And Noah himself couldn't stand it.

Even with all the secrets his family had always been close. This separation was for Claire's safety, he knew that. But he kept thinking that it would be better for Claire if she didn't keep this baby. Obviously it couldn't be in the hands of Stark-he was a monster who would use this extremely powerful child for evil and ruin its life. But surely he could find someone to raise it for her? Someone who would understand the powers the girl would possess.

He'd talked with Nathan and Angela, who couldn't agree more. The scandal would ruin Nathan's career and both he and Angela believed that Peter's life would be ruined by this. Co-parenting with your niece was hardly normal, even by the revised standards of the Petrelli family. Noah felt the same way about Claire. And god knows what it would do to the baby.

So they had come, all of them, to try and talk Peter and Claire into giving the baby up. Heidi had tagged along for support and Lyle came because Noah wanted to remind his daughter that she was a teenager, and should be living like one.

He'd told Lyle and Sandra that Claire was pregnant, and Peter was acting as her doctor. They were living in Portland to protect Nathan from scandal. And if he could get them to agree to give the baby up, it would disappear so completely after birth that it wouldn't matter their cover was being blown now.

Noah was reasonably sure Claire would agree. The daughter he knew was carefree, a cheerleader and a so-so student. Someone who wanted to go to college, to parties, to have fun. She wasn't someone who was ready to be a mother. She herself had been adopted and it worked out great.

Peter might be a different story.

But then he saw his daughter.

Claire opened the door and she looked so completely different that for a moment Noah didn't recognize her. The person he saw was not a teenager, not a cheerleader. This was a very pregnant young woman, with brown hair that was slightly wavy, not blond curls. For a second he thought they had the wrong house and then he saw her eyes, and they were Claire's eyes.

But she looked so happy, so ridiculously, glowingly happy. He had imagined his daughter for months as being miserable, sad and alone in a strange city with only Peter.

He tried not to think about the fact that she was all alone with Peter. There was something about them, some aura, when they visited for Christmas that he didn't like.

For a minute everyone just stared, Claire on one side, looking vulnerable in a long t-shirt and a pair of boxers (he was hoping they weren't Peter's) and everyone else massed on the porch with suitcases. Then Lyle broke the spell.

"Jesus Claire! Who knocked you up?"

"Lyle!" Claire crossed her arms over her protruding belly. Sandra started to cry.

"Oh Claire!" She moved forward and embraced her daughter. "Oh honey! If I had only known I would have been with you…or you could have been at home with us." She removed her head and glared at Nathan. "There is no need for all these theatrics."

Nathan crossed his arms and looked hostile. "There are things you don't know." He said.

"Like what?" Lyle asked.

But before anyone could answer Peter came up the steps, holding brown paper bags of groceries.

"What's going on?" he asked, looking puzzled. Noah didn't miss the look that passed between him and Claire.

"I have no idea." She said, and Noah cringed because even her voice was different. Happier, older.

"For gods' sake lets take this inside" Angela lit a cigarette, waved it for emphasis, "the whole neighborhood can see this little family reunion."

"Right." Claire opened the door wider, "come in…I guess."

………..

When Claire saw them all standing there first she was shocked. Wasn't this dangerous? How could they be there if people were watching them-people who wanted to take the baby?

Her second reaction was shame. Not over the baby-never that. She loved the baby, felt grateful that those people had given her this gift.

But not once when she and Peter had been living here had they called home. She had gotten on the plane that day in December and hadn't looked back. Now, with both of her families in her face she couldn't believe she had been so thoughtless.

They all trudged in, suitcases in hand. Claire made Angela put out her cigarette. This was something she wouldn't have dared to ask back in the Petrelli mansion-she always felt too much like a guest. But this was her house. She lived there, she'd decorated and painted it, hell, she even cleaned it. And no one was going to expose her daughter to secondhand smoke.

_What are they doing here?_ She asked Peter. _What are we going to tell them?_

Peter gave a minuet shrug. Claire led all the visitors into the living room.

"So" Sandra said, still wiping tears into her sleeve, "this is nice. smiled at her mother. Everyone else sat awkwardly, most of them looking at their hands.

"Who's its father?" Lyle asked, seeming fascinated by his sisters bulging stomach. "It's not _West_ is it? Because he said some really nasty stuff about you when you left."

Claire rolled her eyes. "No, its not West." She said, "I'm eight months pregnant, I met him four months ago."

"That's why your boobs where so big at Christmas!"

"Lyle. Eww."

"I can't believe you didn't tell me Claire," Sandra cried "all this time-I would have helped you. I can't believe you told them" she gestured to Nathan, Heidi and Angela, "before the people who raised you! And living like this-with some man you barely know!"

Claire felt shame course through her body. She could have called home at some point she guessed, but she had been so happy, so wrapped up in Peter she hadn't even thought about it. "I'm sorry mom. I was…ashamed." The lie burned her throat.

Sandra reached over and hugged Claire. "You should never be ashamed to tell me anything" she said, putting her forehead on Claire's, holding her face, "I'm your mother!"

Claire hugged her mother and cried a little. She broke away. "Mom Peter is my best friend" among other things, this was true; "it hasn't been bad at all living with him." It had been bliss really. Like living in a fog of love that blocked everything else out.

Peter sat down next to Claire, squeezing in on the couch that already contained her, her mother and her adoptive father. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it for comfort. "So what are you guys doing here?" Peter asked his expression blunt. "You can't be just visiting. I thought this was too dangerous….to Nathan's reputation."

"It is." Nathan looked pissed Claire decided, "but it was important we all talked to you. We have a proposal for you."

Sandra lifted a hand and tentatively, getting a nod of permission from Claire, set it down on the top of her bulge. The baby kicked hard and Sandra started to cry again. For a minute Claire had a feeling like everything was sliding sideways-like she was in the twighlight zone. What was going on? It was dangerous for everyone to be here-they'd lead the people who wanted her baby right to them.

Sandra grabbed her hand. "Sweetie" she said "we all have an idea. And I think you should listen to it, because it's something that will really change your life."

Peter's eyebrows shot up and his expression darkened. Claire felt a panicky feeling inside of her chest like her heart was squeezed. He just read their minds-she knew the expression by now since any one close to them had to be checked out-and what he found wasn't good.

Angela broke in. "We think you should give the baby up for adoption" she said, looking from Peter to Claire with an odd, closed expression on her face, "we found a very suitable family where the girl will be quite safe, and be with people who understand her. It's really what's best for all."

Claire opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. A spasm rippled across her back.

_Shit. Shit. Not now! Now with all of them here! I wanted it just to be us and now it's going to be a three ring circus! Peter!_

But Peter was ignoring her silent call, focusing on the verbal conversation. He jumped in before she could say anything. "No way." He crossed his arms, stared down the two families as if he could make them disappear just by looking, "that's not an option."

Sandra gave Peter an odd look. "Sweetie I know you're a good friend of Claire's but I'm wondering what kind of say you have in this decision."

Claire could tell that Peter was just on the edge of saying something-something her mother and brother could definitely not handle.

_Peter! Peter!_

This time it broke through. Peter's head snapped around, a questioning expression on his face.

_Yes, it's time!_ And then she groaned a sound of complete surprise because she'd forgotten what pain felt like.

_Fuck! This hurts!_

Everyone in the room activated. Sandra and Noah rushed to Claire's side, concern on their faces.

"Peter" Claire gasped, arching her back. "Peter you have to help me."

Peter jumped up, and gently grabbing Claire's hands pulled her to her feet. One arm went around what little was left of her waist, the other grabbed her hand. She leaned back against him, trying for some sense of normalcy. Sandra hovered around her, brushing at her hair and annoying her so much that she swatted her away. She didn't see the tears build up in her mother's eyes.

"Oh my god." Lyle sounded disgusted. "We have to go to the hospital. You can't have the baby _here_!"

"Actually that's the plan" Peter said.

Lyle made a face. "Are you going to deliver it? Aren't you Claire's uncle? That's really gross."

Noah frowned again, the lines becoming ingrained in his face. "He's a nurse pal." He said to Lyle, clapping him on the shoulder.

"No." Sandra grabbed Peter's elbow, pulling him away from Claire and leaving her bereft, like a bundle of pain alone in the ocean, "my daughter needs to go to the hospital. She needs a _doctor_!"

Nathan burst in and Peter broke away and went back to holding Claire up. She sagged against him in relief.

"This is what's best for everyone." Nathan said, using his best _you-can-trust-me__**-I'm-a-politician **_voice.

"Best for your career maybe." Sandra shot back.

"Please" Heidi touched Sandra on the shoulder, trying to calm her down, "we need to be calm and do what Claire wants, it's better for the baby."

"I need to get Claire upstairs," Peter said, "it's what we agreed on."

Claire wasn't listening, wasn't focusing on anything but Peter and the baby. Then she remembered.

She looked up, caught Noah and Nathan in her sights. They both looked anxious and a little pained. Angela's expression shocked her because the older woman was actually shaking.

"I am never, ever giving up my baby" Claire said, fighting back tears as a surge of emotion overwhelmed her. "Ever. I am going to raise her, and be her mother until I die. No one is going to take that away from me. I don't care what it does to your career, or to our relationship. Neither of them is important compared to her."

Peter squeezed her hand and leaned down and kissed her forehead. She wore the kiss like a crown, like a brand, like a sacrament. They didn't know what it meant but she did.

She didn't catch the glances Noah and Nathan exchanged. Or the way Angela suddenly became very interested in the trees outside the window.

"Now" she took a deep breath and filled her lungs with oxygen, imagining the molecules rushing through her bloodstream and feeding her baby. Soon it wouldn't need her like that. But soon it would be _here. _The thought galvanized her. "I want to go upstairs."

And so they went-the whole three ring circus, up the stairs to the room that Claire and Peter had been sharing for four months.

………..

Like Claire Peter had felt a surge of guilt at seeing his family. He had been all about family-willing to do anything to keep them safe, to love them and be loved by them. But everything had changed, almost overnight, when he found out that Claire felt the same way about him that he felt about her. His family had suddenly gone from being a central issue in his life to not even being considered. It was strange, seeing them, because it brought back all the love and frustration-every family related emotion he had.

This reaction went away when Claire went into labor.

Peter forbid Sandra in the delivery room (well really it was the bedroom) which seemed to hurt the older woman's feelings quite a bit, but Peter explained that Claire was nervous. This had led to an awkward conversation about why, if she was embarrassed, was her _Uncle_ delivering the baby? Why weren't they going to a hospital? Didn't Claire have a doctor? Surely no one in New York would notice if a congressman's seventeen year old daughter had a baby all the way across the country under a different name. Lyle also had questions, most of them revolving around who the father of the baby was and wasn't it going to be super gross looking at his niece's _vagina_?

It aggravated Peter so much that he broke one of his biggest rules and stopped time for all of his visitors except for Heidi, who he remembered having a cool head under pressure.

Heidi didn't understand what had happened at first. "What's going on?" she asked, staring aghast at the frozen statues of Nathan and Noah arguing, Angela reaching for a cigarette, Lyle looking grossed out and Sandra's concerned face. "Peter did you do this?"

"Yep." Peter ignored his sister-in-laws awed expression. "I figured you'd be the most help."

"Peter!" Claire's voice came from the bedroom, where he had put her down on the bed to rest "Peter I need you."

"C'mon." Peter grabbed Heidi and took her into the bedroom he shared with Claire. He didn't miss her seeing all the pictures on the wall (including one of Peter painting a smiley face on Claire's belly) or the clothing strewn on the floor (which really belonged to both of them but was mostly his since that's what Claire had been wearing lately) but Heidi could make her own interpretation. Also she had been pre-med before she and Nathan got married. He had met the Haitian-there was no reason he couldn't break an even bigger rule and wipe her memory. He'd do it to keep Claire and his daughter safe. To keep their life safe.

"What's she doing here?" Claire sounded panicked, "what happened to everyone else?"

"I froze time." Peter got up on the bed behind Claire, pulled her into a sitting position and started rubbing her back. Claire's head turned to the bedside clock and indeed, time had stopped. "I thought things might go easier this way. Do you want your mother? I can get her."

Claire's smile of gratitude almost blinded him. "Thank you" she whispered, "I only want you" and he could tell she was about to kiss him so he pulled back a little, nudging his head in Heidi's direction. "But it's great that Heidi's here too" she finished, awkwardly.

"I meant to tell you Claire" Heidi said, smiling reassuringly, "I really love your house."

"Thank you." Claire smiled, and Peter could tell she was feeling more normal, "I didn't so anything to the outside, and we haven't done much to the inside because it's so big…"

"And where do you sleep Peter?" Heidi cut in.

Peter rubbed Claire's back in a slow, circular motion, trying to ease the contractions. He could only imagine how upsetting it would be to feel pain for the first time in a long time right as you were trying to push a seven pound baby out of you. "I sleep in the attic" he said, gently lifting Claire's hair off her neck and rubbing that too, "we set up a little couch in a room up there It has a good vantage point for a look out."

Heidi nodded, but it was the kind of nod that really said, _I don't believe you_. He ignored it, concentrated on the task at hand. Another contraction hit Claire and she cried out but Peter could tell the sound was of more shock than pain.

All her muscles tensed and she looked up at Heidi. "I'm not giving up my baby." She said, her voice a tad panicked. "I won't do it."

"Don't worry about that." Peter got her up, started walking her around the room. "No one is gong to take our baby."

Heidi grabbed Claire's other side; held up as another contraction hit. "I knew you wouldn't" she said, "but Nathan and your father were so convinced that this was the right thing for both of you-all three of you."

"The right thing" Claire panted, "would have been to leave us alone. We were doing great. Peter," she looked at him pleadingly, "I don't want anything to change, and this, having them here, will change everything."

"It's ok, it's ok" Peter brushed sweaty strands of hair across her forehead, "I have a plan. Everything will be ok."

Heidi stopped walking and let go of Claire. "I don't want to know what you're talking about, do I?" she asked

Peter didn't pansy around. He had no illusions that anyone in either of their families would support their relationship. In fact it was likely that Nathan or Noah would kill him (for good) and Claire would be shipped off to live in exile. It didn't make either of them happy-being so crazy in love and knowing they wouldn't tell anybody the extraordinary story of how they found each other-but life was what it was. Maybe their destiny was to live with only each other and their progeny as family.

"You don't." he said. Claire nodded, then doubled over screaming and Peter watched as water gushed out of her.

"Ok." Heidi had her game face on. "Let's deliver this baby."

……….

Claire was in awe

There weren't too many things that amazed her anymore. She had died and come back to life, had seen the love of her life explode and be miraculously without a mark on him, had watched people fly, erase memories, be invisible and change or stop time. The stuff of legends and comic books had become normal. Just as pain had stopped affecting her she had assumed that there would be nothing in left in life which could really amaze her.

And then she saw her daughter.

She didn't know what time she was born since she was pretty sure time had been stopped for a couple of hours. She didn't know how much she weighed, how long she was…the normal stuff the hospital would tell you.

But she could see Peter in the shape of her eyes and mouth, herself in the eye color and a complete uniqueness in the shape of her fingers and toes.

She was perfect.

More than that, she was a miracle.

Claire didn't really notice but gradually Heidi's voice faded to the background and then stopped. The guilt she felt over not contacting her family went away like it had never existed. Her world had contracted and only three people were in it. Suddenly Peter was in bed next to her, his arms around her and a giant kiss planted on her mouth.

"Mmhh" she laughed, kissing him back and handing him the baby, "I guess that means Heidi's gone."

"I froze her and put her in the hallway" Peter said, grazing at his daughter. The expression on his face made Claire laugh, but she guessed it mirrored her own.

"She's amazing." Peter said, whispering as if he was handling something haloed-though in a way he was "I can't believe you made her."

"Hey!" Claire laughed again, feeling so light she could float away. "We both made her. Though really those chrysalis people did."

"I never thought I'd thank them."

"She needs a name" Claire propped herself up on her elbow. "We can't keep calling her 'her'."

"How about Claire?"

"No. Elizabeth?"

"I had a girlfriend named Elizabeth. Lilly?"

"No-I don't like the way they smell. Rose?"

"Nah-no flower names. We could call her Angela."

Claire smacked Peter gently. "No. How about Sandra?"

"I hope that's a joke."

"It is. No family names."

"Then what?"

"Hally."

"Like Hally Berry?"

"No. Like Hallelujah."

"That's perfect."

They snuggled into each other, each with an arm around the baby, a perfect trinity.

……….

After Claire nnursed for the first time and then fell asleep with Hally, Peter set to work. Since he saw his daughter, held her, counted her toes and fingers and felt her silky bond baby hair, he couldn't let anything put them in danger, chance their life together.

So one by one he took their family, the people they loved the most in the world and erased any memory of coming to visit, any thought of asking them to give up the baby for adoption. He implanted big danger signs about contacting them.

Then one by one he returned them to their homes. The Petrelli's went back to the mansion in New York, the Bennett's to their house in California.

He didn't fell guilt, they way he had always imagined the Haitian must feel. He felt just, like an angle watching over the innocent.

Maybe he felt a little guilty. But they would call them; let them know the baby was born. Maybe someday it would be safe and they could visit.

And that was all. Peter had been all about family only a year ago and now all he needed was Claire and Hally.

The thought made him smile and feel a little sad.

_I bet she feels the same_ he thought, returning to the house and stopping outside the door, in case they were still asleep.

He pushed open the door gently and a rocket launched itself at him. He grabbed it and the rocket turned into Claire-a crying, hysterical Claire.

His heart sunk. His mind whirled.

_No. It couldn't have happened. I wasn't gone that long…it can't be_

"What happened?" he wasn't being gentle-wasn't being kind. He shook Claire to get her to stop crying and look at him. "What happened?"

That's when he noticed the trial of blood running down Claire's neck and onto her t-shirt.

_They took her. Oh god. Where is my baby???!!!_

Claire's shouts of mental anguish reverberated off his scull and gasping for air, his heart breaking, they slid to the floor.

"We'll find her." His voice scared him a little because he had never heard that tone, not even from Nathan at his maddest. "We'll find her."

……….

To be continued….

**A/N**: ok, you must have known that was going to happen at some point. Review and the next (and last real) chapter will come soon. Coming up: The kidnappers revealed! The real reason for Peter and Claire's extreme happiness and wrapped-up-edness is explained (yes some of it is just from being together and being happy, but most of it is-a secret to be revealed in the next chapter!) and the Ending of the saga! The faster you review the fast I write…..


	10. Preview of Chapter Nine

**Author's note: **Ok, I feel so bad about not updating that to prove I am serious about finishing this story here is a preview of chapter nine which should be up in full by the end of the week. This is in no way the whole chapter but I hope it tides you over until Friday.

**Trinity**

**Preview of Chapter Nine**

When Claire was nine years old a new family moved into their neighborhood, the Dales. They had a daughter Claire's age, who Claire tried to befriend. But the girl was, to put it plainly, a bully. One day she took Claire's favorite teddy bear. Back then Claire had cried to her daddy and gotten him to ask the girls parents for the bear back.

But the last year had changed her. She didn't do things that way anymore.

For about a minute she crouched with Peter on the floor, screaming her head off mentally and shaking. Then she got it together.

"Ok." She stood up, still shaking, but she did stand up. "What do we do?"

"We find her." Peter's voice sounded totally unfamiliar-stern and scary. She didn't care.

"Where you around Molly enough to be able to use her power?" Claire changed clothes as she asked. A small part of her brain marveled at the fact that she now looked-except for her hair-exactly as she had eight months ago. Another part grieved that she had no tangible connection to Hally now-no one would recognize her as a new mother. For some reason this made her self conscious and she hid behind the closet door as she changed.

"No." Peter's voice was sure. "We'll have to go find Molly first, get her to find Hally-we don't have time to mess around with me experimenting with something new."

Claire came out from behind the door and went into the bathroom. Pulling up her hair she started scrubbing the blood from her neck. Peter came up behind her.

"What's that?" he said, peering at her neck.

Claire's fingers went to her neck and she found a bump the size of a large pill. She grabbed Peter's razor and before he could saying anything sliced open her neck and pulled it out.

She peered at the object .It looked like a metal Tylenol-clear and oblong with little circuits inside of it. She handed it to Peter.

"What is this?" she was demanding, uncompromising. They didn't have time to be nice or lovey-dovey right now. "Is this how they found us? How they knew when she was born? Has this been there the whole time?"

Peter closed his eyes, tapping into Micha Sander's power. She felt like screaming.

_Why is this so slow?!_

Peter opened one eye, looked at her. "It's a lot harder if you're talking while I'm trying to communicate with it."

"Then stop listening to me!" Claire snapped.

"Hey." Peter put down the metal pill and she had to force herself not to scream. He grabbed her shoulders, gently, his voice changing back to the Peter she knew. "We're never going to get through this if we start fighting. That's what they want. We can find her; we just have to work together."

Claire took a deep breath, trying to force herself to relax. "Ok." She picked up the pill again, handed it to Peter. "What is this?"

………

Peter closed his eyes and dived into the tiny metal object. He ducked between it's circuits, weaving in and out of all of the tiny clumps of metal and wire.

_Talk to me. Tell me what you are_.

It came back, a jumble of electronic information, encoded and hidden. He frowned, clenching his eyelids, trying to dig deeper. Dates came back-dates he remembered. The day they were taken and Hally was conceived-September fifth. The day they first had sex-December 27th. The day they moved-December 29th. Today-the day she was born. Other dates where there to, dates that he didn't recognize as important but this little machine did. Hormone changes, mood shifts, anything that could be chemically measured was registered. Minuet changes in air quality and particles that reveled their location.

His hands started to shake. He put the pill down carefully, ignoring Claire's requests for information. Grabbing the razor she had used to cut it out of her neck he reached behind himself, set it to his neck and cut deep. It took some digging to find the machine in his head-the spike to Claire's brain had brought the one in her brain stem to the surface. But it was there. He dropped it to the counter with an expression of disgust.

"Shit!" He kicked the wastebasket, knocking it over. He wanted to smash things, break things. It had been there the whole time, every single minute he had thought he was doing everything to keep them safe. Peter could stop time, bend light, do any number of things some that he wasn't even aware of, but he hadn't been able to keep his family safe.

"What is it?" Claire was pale and looked shaky but resolved and looking at her he had to remind himself that even though she looked just like she had eight or nine months ago, she had just given birth, with all of the hormone fluctuations that go with it.

He took a deep breathe, letting the fury go out of him. "It's a tracking device" he said, picking the pill back up and letting a little electricity fry its insides to dust. "It's been recording everything we do, everywhere we went. And they've been here the whole time."

Watching her, something inside of Claire seemed to collapse and she staggered and Peter barely managed to catch her before she fell. She clutched at his shoulders, not noticing the blood on his skin. "Then we never had a chance" she whispered and Peter could tell he was the only thing keeping her off the floor. "We never could have kept her safe."

"No." Peter hauled Claire to her feet, an arm on each shoulder to keep her steady. "We're going to get her back and then no one will ever take her from us." He tried to inject as much optimism as he could into his voice-hell, if he had the persuasive ability he'd seen on Mohinder's list once he would've used it now. Maybe he did have it a little bit or maybe she just trusted him that much because Claire squared her shoulders and stood solidly on her own.

Peter smiled at her as much he could and wrapped his arms around her.

"Let's go find Molly."

And then they were gone.


	11. Chapter 9 full version

**Author's note: **I feel so bad that it took me so long to write this! I just got sick and there's some major drama coming up in my family that required a lot of my attention. But now I'm back. So here is the complete chapter nine-the very last chapter in the Trinity story. There is an epilog coming though. And just a reminder-the company is not the villain in this story-I refer you to chapter five. And CC-I haven't forgotten your one chapter masquerade story-I have it all planned out I just need to write it.

So, with no further ado-the last full trinity chapter.

Claire's thoughts are in _italics_

Peter's are _underlined italics. _

**Trinity**

**Chapter Nine**

When Claire was nine years old a new family moved into their neighborhood, the Dales. They had a daughter Claire's age, who Claire tried to befriend. But the girl was, to put it plainly, a bully. One day she took Claire's favorite teddy bear. Back then Claire had cried to her daddy and gotten him to ask the girls parents for the bear back.

But the last year had changed her. She didn't do things that way anymore.

For about a minute she crouched with Peter on the floor, screaming her head off mentally and shaking. Then she got it together.

"Ok." She stood up, still shaking, but she did stand up. "What do we do?"

"We find her." Peter's voice sounded totally unfamiliar-stern and scary. She didn't care.

"Where you around Molly enough to be able to use her power?" Claire changed clothes as she asked. A small part of her brain marveled at the fact that she now looked-except for her hair-exactly as she had eight months ago. Another part grieved that she had no tangible connection to Hally now-no one would recognize her as a new mother. For some reason this made her self conscious and she hid behind the closet door as she changed.

"No." Peter's voice was sure. "We'll have to go find Molly first, get her to find Hally-we don't have time to mess around with me experimenting with something new."

Claire came out from behind the door and went into the bathroom. Pulling up her hair she started scrubbing the blood from her neck. Peter came up behind her.

"What's that?" he said, peering at her neck.

Claire's fingers went to her neck and she found a bump the size of a large pill. She grabbed Peter's razor and before he could saying anything sliced open her neck and pulled it out.

She peered at the object .It looked like a metal Tylenol-clear and oblong with little circuits inside of it. She handed it to Peter.

"What is this?" she was demanding, uncompromising. They didn't have time to be nice or lovey-dovey right now. "Is this how they found us? How they knew when she was born? Has this been there the whole time?"

Peter closed his eyes, tapping into Micha Sander's power. She felt like screaming.

_Why is this so slow?!_

Peter opened one eye, looked at her. "It's a lot harder if you're talking while I'm trying to communicate with it."

"Then stop listening to me!" Claire snapped.

"Hey." Peter put down the metal pill and she had to force herself not to scream. He grabbed her shoulders, gently, his voice changing back to the Peter she knew. "We're never going to get through this if we start fighting. That's what they want. We can find her; we just have to work together."

Claire took a deep breath, trying to force herself to relax. "Ok." She picked up the pill again, handed it to Peter. "What is this?"

………

Peter closed his eyes and dived into the tiny metal object. He ducked between it's circuits, weaving in and out of all of the tiny clumps of metal and wire.

_Talk to me. Tell me what you are_.

It came back, a jumble of electronic information, encoded and hidden. He frowned, clenching his eyelids, trying to dig deeper. Dates came back-dates he remembered. The day they were taken and Hally was conceived-September fifth. The day they first had sex-December 27th. The day they moved-December 29th. Today-the day she was born. Other dates where there to, dates that he didn't recognize as important but this little machine did. Hormone changes, mood shifts, anything that could be chemically measured was registered. Minuet changes in air quality and particles that reveled their location.

His hands started to shake. He put the pill down carefully, ignoring Claire's requests for information. Grabbing the razor she had used to cut it out of her neck he reached behind himself, set it to his neck and cut deep. It took some digging to find the machine in his head-the spike to Claire's brain had brought the one in her brain stem to the surface. But it was there. He dropped it to the counter with an expression of disgust.

"Shit!" He kicked the wastebasket, knocking it over. He wanted to smash things, break things. It had been there the whole time, every single minute he had thought he was doing everything to keep them safe. Peter could stop time, bend light, do any number of things some that he wasn't even aware of, but he hadn't been able to keep his family safe.

"What is it?" Claire was pale and looked shaky but resolved and looking at her he had to remind himself that even though she looked just like she had eight or nine months ago, she had just given birth, with all of the hormone fluctuations that go with it.

He took a deep breathe, letting the fury go out of him. "It's a tracking device" he said, picking the pill back up and letting a little electricity fry its insides to dust. "It's been recording everything we do, everywhere we went. And they've been here the whole time."

Watching her, something inside of Claire seemed to collapse and she staggered and Peter barely managed to catch her before she fell. She clutched at his shoulders, not noticing the blood on his skin. "Then we never had a chance" she whispered and Peter could tell he was the only thing keeping her off the floor. "We never could have kept her safe."

"No." Peter hauled Claire to her feet, an arm on each shoulder to keep her steady. "We're going to get her back and then no one will ever take her from us." He tried to inject as much optimism as he could into his voice-hell, if he had the persuasive ability he'd seen on Mohinder's list once he would've used it now. Maybe he did have it a little bit or maybe she just trusted him that much because Claire squared her shoulders and stood solidly on her own.

Peter smiled at her as much he could and wrapped his arms around her.

"Let's go find Molly."

And then they were gone.

……..

Claire blinked once and they were in the middle of Mohinder's apartment watching Matt Parkman taking a pizza from a delivery guy.

"Dude!" The pizza guy staggered, apparently having seen them appear from nowhere. "Did you guys like teleport? Cool!!" He pulled out a cell phone and started to take a picture.

Peter held out his hand the cell phone flew to him. He handed it to Claire who stomped on it, relishing the feel of destruction. She smashed the little phone the way she wanted to smash whoever had her daughter.

Parkman looked mildly stunned. "Hey guys" he said, sounding cautious. "What are you two doing here?"

She didn't waste time. "They have my daughter." She advanced on Matt who was looking between her and Peter and staring at the blood and little bit of brain matter on Peter's shirt. Peter stepped forward towards the delivery kid who looked like he was seeing the Holy Grail.

"Dude!" He fell to his knees, his greasy teenage face upturned like he was looking at god. "Take me! Have Scotty beam me up! I'm so ready to get off this looser planet!"

"Then live long and prosper" Peter said, reaching down to put a hand on the kids forehead who immediately closed his eyes in ecstasy. After a second he let go and the kid got up and turned without a word and walked away.

Matt's mouth was hanging open. Claire opened her mouth, about to explain why they were here, why they were covered in blood, why they had broken so many of the rules the "heroes" had laid down for themselves. But he just waved his big friendly hand at her, a concentrating expression of his face.

_Oh right_ she thought, feeling stupid. _He's a mind reader._

Matt set down his pizza on the counter and Claire remembered she hadn't eaten since this morning-which seemed so far away she couldn't even remember it.

"You can have a slice" Matt surprised her by saying. "And I'll go get Molly."

_Thank you._

"But" Matt paused, looking serious, "I just heard a lot of crap. Crap I didn't ever need to know about, crap that I could arrest you for" he said, looking at Peter, "so we're going to…"

Peter interrupted. "We don't have to argue about whose way we're going to do this" he said, "our daughter, who is less than a day old, has been kidnapped!"

"Easy Tiger." Matt held up both hands in a gesture of submission. "I just want you to change your shirt before Molly sees you. She has enough nightmares as it is."

Claire understood his concern. He was a parent now, no matter how unconventionally it had come about.

"And you" Matt rounded on Claire, "eat something before you pass out."

Matt went to get Molly from her room and Peter gave Claire's hand one last squeeze before disappearing into Mohinder's room-she heard a startled shout from the doctor-to get a new shirt. Claire grabbed the pizza and burned her mouth a little gulping it down but it didn't matter because the burned skin healed so fast.

It was absurdly normal, almost. She was eating pizza, Peter was changing- this could be any normal day in the last four months except for the fact that she was no longer pregnant.

_God I want my baby! Where is she!_

"You need me to find someone?" Claire heard Molly's voice and turned. She almost burst into tears. Here was salvation. This little girl was going to find her little girl.

She had met Molly before of course-had even babysat for her a few times when Mohinder and Matt were having trouble getting into a routine. She was a sweet kid and obviously attached to both Matt and Mohinder but she'd never really opened up emotionally to Claire.

Which was probably a good thing right now because she didn't think she could bear affection from a child.

"I do." Claire swallowed the last of the pizza and knelt down before Molly, a small part of her brain noticing the range of motion she had regained. Molly's eyes looked into her, very serious, very old for her age.

_Does she ever blink?_

Her little non sequitur thought made Matt laugh and broke the tense mood-for him at least. Molly took Claire's hand and led to the couch-the very same old floral couch she had been sitting on when she found out she was pregnant, when she found out that Peter was the father….

_Every time I sit here something happens that changes my life forever. What's going to happen now? Will she be dead? Forever beyond my reach?_

She knelt instead, staying in front of Molly, unwilling to sit on the couch.

Molly pulled out a huge atlas-she had seen it before because for a little while before this whole thing started when they were kidnapped Peter had been really into trying to master all the powers he had and she'd tagged along-unwilling then to let him out of her sight for fear he'd explode and disappear again.

Almost as if thinking of him conjured him, Peter came out of the back room with Mohinder trailing. Claire had thought he might try to help Molly-see if two could find Hally faster or something but instead he went over to the largest window and opened it.

"I called Nathan" he said, pulling Claire to her feet and sitting down on the couch, his hold on her hand drawing her down. She sat, slightly more ok with the piece of furniture now that Peter was here.

"Should I wait for him?" Molly asked.

"No!" Claire almost yelled and the mere question got her heart racing because they had no time to loose.

"Ok." Molly took a deep breathe and closed her eyes. "Tell me about the person."

Claire felt a knot in her throat appear. She couldn't do this-couldn't share what little she had of her daughter, couldn't talk about her as if….

Peter squeezed her hand. Matt averted his eyes. Mohinder looked puzzled and sad.

"She has…" _start slow, _"…green eyes. And kind of a lop sided mouth and really soft blond hair but there isn't very much of it…"

_Don't cry. You're going to get her back so don't cry._

Peter jumped in, still holding Claire's hand. "Her name is Hallelujah but we call her Hally for short. She was born today."

Molly's eyes closed tighter, little wrinkles appearing on her forehead. "Who are her parents?" She asked.

"I'm her mother" Claire's voice was so soft she wondered is Molly could even hear but the little girl nodded showing no surprise-she was a professional at work.

"And her father is…?"

Matt made a noise that clearly said "don't tell her!" and Claire followed the expressions on his and Peter's faces which indicated a non-verbal battle was taking place. She knew what Peter was saying-he would erase this, this memory would be gone for all of them. There would be no icky idea in Molly's head that incest even existed until she was much older.

"I am." Peter's voice was strong.

Molly's hands started to waver, to flip through the atlas at speeds Claire hadn't known where possible. When she reached a page labeled Manhattan she hand moved faster, the head of the tack wavering back and forth and back and forth, finally to dive into a spot on the page.

A sudden noise like a super sonic boom filled the apartment. Matt jumped on top of Molly pushing her into the couch and Mohinder hit the floor, only to sit back up a second later and see Nathan hanging on the outer wall of the apartment building attempting to clime into the 3.5 foot square window.

He scraped in, landing with a thump on the floor in his business suit. Being Nathan, he didn't allow Mohinder to help him up but stood on his own, rumpled and dirty.

"Ok!" Nathan brushed himself off, "now where the hell is my granddaughter?"

………

After Peter erased the last few minutes from Molly's memory all three Petrelli's crowded around the atlas, staring at the tack imbedded in the book.

"That's a warehouse district" Nathan said authoritatively. When Peter gave him a look he got defensive, "I have spent some time in my constituency you know."

Peter was wary of his brother. Yeah, he'd shown up ready to raise hell but only this morning he'd thought it was a great idea to give the baby up for adoption.

To say something for sibling intuition Nathan seemed to pick up on Peter's thoughts. "I know I wasn't happy about this" he said, talking to Claire also, " and I'm still not. But I can't imagine how I'd feel if I didn't know where Simon or Monty was-or you Claire."

Peter and Claire exchanged a look- three parts love and pride for Nathan coming around and one part mixed shame for what happened only hours ago.

Nathan wrapped an arm around Peter and one around Claire. "How do we do this?" he asked, "I can fly Claire, Pete and…."

"No. I have a faster way."

Before Mohinder, Molly and Matt could only blink before their three unexpected visitors were gone.

…….

For the very first time bending space didn't make Peter feel like vomiting. Hero had told him, in those few weeks he hadn't been so distracted by one thing or the other that he didn't practice the skills he absorbed from the people he got them from, that is he didn't focus, it would make him sick.

_Well I guess this is focus._

It felt more like determination-grim and stark. He was ready to do anything to get his daughter back, no matter what he found here.

Peter's eyes opened-unscrunncing from the effort it took to bring them here. When they opened fully he was almost blinded by the overhead florescent lights. His ears were assaulted suddenly by the sound of a baby crying-no, the sound of lots of babies crying, hundreds maybe.

Claire cried out and ran forward seeing a second before Peter did the hundreds of cribs in rows on the warehouse floor. They were above it, in what he guessed was a monitoring deck for supervisors to watch workers below. The whole little room they were in was walled with huge panes of glass and even though he looked in every direction he couldn't see a way from this deck to the floor below.

_She's down there. My baby is down there._

The glass stopped Claire-she couldn't risk throwing herself out of it and have the glass fall hurt the babies below. There were so many of them-she counted ten rows of fifty cribs each; taking up the entire warehouse floor.

"Peter make it go away!" Claire ran backwards grabbed Peter and put his hands to the glass. He wasn't sure entirely what she wanted him to do-neither of them was entirely sure of everything he could do since just passing someone on the street that was like them could give him a new power. And neither of them has been willing to see what he had gained from fighting Sylar.

Nathan joined them at the window, ready to fly down to the floor the second it was gone. But even though Peter closed his eyes, hands flat on the glass and was clearly concentrating-nothing happened.

"Why isn't it working?!" Claire banged her fist on the glass in frustration and rounded on Peter in spite of their promise not to fight. "Peter I have to get down there."

"Why don't you ever call him Uncle Peter?" Nathan asked, only to be ignored.

"I don't know" Peter stared at his hands feeling panic rise like water in his chest, "I don't know I just can't…."

"Ok." Claire started to back up, "I'll just jump through the window and you can grab the glass before it falls on any of the babies down there."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." The voice came from behind them. All three whirled around and in the doorway, backlit by the light behind as only a planned entrance could be was a woman. Dark haired. Young. Beautiful. And familiar to all of them.

Laura.

……..

Back in Mohinder's apartment Matt was pacing. Five minutes went by-then ten. Now half an hour.

"That's it!" He threw his hand up in the air and went for the phone. "I'm calling for back up."

"Matt! I don't think this is the kind of the thing the police should be in on." Mohinder said, worried about exposing his friends.

"Not that kind of backup." Parkman picked up the atlas and stared at the tack on the page. The ringing in his handset stopped and someone picked up the line. "Hi-I know it's been a while but we need help. Get to 432 17th street by the west side docks-I'll explain the rest."

…………..

The Laura Claire had know wore clothes from Macy's designed to sell more clothes to teenage girls- even on her days off she looked like she was trying to be a teenager again. This woman, who was very obviously Laura, was wearing a dark business suit; hair pulled back neatly-she looked a lot like the kind of person she would expect to encounter at one of Nathan's mort boring fundraisers.

_Fuck! I knew there was a reason I hated you!_

"As I was saying" she continued in a completely friendly but don't fuck with me voice. "None of your….special abilities will work in this facility. We have special dampers in here that…well I suppose you don't need to know the details. But you won't be getting out of the room. You only got in here in the first place because we wanted you here."

_Jesus we're like rats in a cage._

For the very time in months Peter didn't look at Claire to reassure her when she had a disturbing thought.

_He can't here me anymore…_

"Laura?" Peter seemed to still be stunned. "You did this? All along it was you?"

"Me and a multi-billion dollar corporation. I had nothing to do with the initial phase of the experiment of course but I was assigned to monitor its progress in the early stages. We anticipated that you would remove yourself from this area out of some…" she waved her hands in the air clearly searching for the right word," sentimental attachment to the experiment."

"Experiment?!" Claire tried to run forward but Nathan grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Struggling in his grim she continued to shout, "She's a person! A baby! Not an experiment!"

Laura's expression turned hard and angry. "She's a freak" she sneered, "but she is an advanced freak. Because of her age we should be able to use her genetic material to enhance our own. Of course now that three of you are here I suppose we can yours also."

Peter's voice was grim. "You had no idea what you're dealing with."

"I think you're forgetting-there is nothing you can do in this room."

_Maybe they can stop Peter_. Claire thought, her eyes racing between Laura and the windows lining the room. _But of what he does is outside himself and he has to turn it on with concentrated effort. I heal whatever's happening._

"Maybe he can't bend time and space" Claire's voice was grim. "But some things are purely genetic."

She wrenched out of Nathan's grasp and ran for the window as fast as she could. She hit the glass expecting to go strait through and to the floor below but instead she just smacked into the glass and rebounded. Lying on the floor she was surprised to find that her whole body hurt badly-she was actually injured.

Laura laughed a deep menacing sound. "I really should have mentioned the shatter proof glass" she said faking a regretful tone, "after all since the radio signal we're projecting is disrupting the anomalies in your DNA you won't be able to be as… reckless as you normally are. Your super healing won't work in here either."

With a clunk of the door she gone back to whatever was beyond the room they were in.

Peter ran over to Claire staring aghast at the bruises that were already forming on her delicate skin. He knelt by her still prone form and lifted her head into his lap.

Stroking her hair he asked, "Are you ok?"

Claire gasped trying to breathe fully in the spite of the pain in her ribs.

_No pain for over a year and then labor and broken ribs in one day. Life sucks sometimes._

"I'm fine" she gasped and Nathan, hearing the pain in her voice knelt at her other side, "what are we going to do? You heard what my father-I mean Noah, said. They'll treat her as an experiment. Put her through tests and trials until they know exactly what she's capable of and then use her DNA until they can do the same things. She'll be tortured until she's dead. She's not even a baby to them-just a science experiment if we don't get her out of here….!"

"Shush" Peter smoothed her hair back on her brow ignoring the look Nathan was giving him that was boring holes into the back of his scull, "we're going to get out of here and we're going to save her. We just have to think of a plan."

"We could offer to negotiate" Nathan suggested, "one of might get out of the room and then be able to use our powers."

"What do you think the odds are of that happening?" Peter asked, slipping an arm under Claire to help her sit up. Nathan did the same.

"Probably none." Nathan said his voice nearly drowned out by Claire's screech of pain as she rose to a sitting position. She waved off their concerns. Between the two of them Nathan Peter managed to put her up against one of the windows. She cranked her head around trying to stare at the hundreds of cribs below trying desperately to spot the one that contained her daughter. "But do you have a better idea?"

"None." Peter said his voice tense.

"I do."

_Crap. Even talking hurts._

Nathan and Peter turned to Claire-Nathan looking annoyed and Peter looking surprised.

"I'm seventeen not stupid." She snapped, the pain she was feeling making her angry "Mohinder and Matt and Molly-they all know where we are. They'll get help-I know they will."

Nathan looked thoughtful. "Hero's out of town and probably can't be reached, Matt can only do so much in this situation and Mohinder and Molly can't do a thing, DL, Niki and Micha all in upstate New York now. It would take them hours to get here."

"Actually only about two and half on the freeway." All three heads in the room jerked up as DL Hawkins came walking through the closed door into the room.

"No!" Peter yelled out standing up, "don't come in here. You won't be able to leave."

"No worries." Matt Parkman opened the door to come in the room looking incredibly cheerful and a little smug. "I shot out the Electromagnetic Signal Selective DNA Disrupting Apparatus. That's what they called it anyway. Everything should work just fine now."

Claire took a deep breath and felt the bones in her ribcage knitting back together, bruises fading as they broken capillaries healed. Using good old fashioned Cheerleader skill she flipped off her back and onto her feet, feeling healthy and normal.

_God it feels good to have that back!_

"I second that." Peter said, earning strange looks from everyone.

"I need to get to Hally" Claire ran back to the windows. "Peter get ride of this glass and I'll jump."

From the room beyond the door came a familiar voice. "There's a staircase over here Claire" Niki Sanders popped her head into the room, "I'll take you down."

It had been months since Claire had seen any of the other heroes but it didn't even register. She ran out of the observation room, Peter trailing behind her, barely noticing the gagged and bound Laura and about five others in the room. Down the stairs she ran and then she was on the warehouse floor. With hundreds of crying babies.

"Jesus" Peter seemed completely stunned. "Were they all taken from people like us?"

Claire ignored him and started running through the rows of cribs. There were five hundred babies in the room-some almost a year old, others a young as her own. Each crib was identical-plain wicker and white cotton fabric. It didn't matter to Claire. She knew where her baby was. She could hear her.

Three rows down and two to the left and there was Hally, lying her little crib looking up curiously, not seeming unhappy at all. Claire lifted her up gently, cooing to her, cuddling her against her skin.

Peter comes up behind her and gently wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling the both of them against him. "How did you find her?" he asked, just a little awed, "how did you know where she was in this maze?"

From behind them came Niki's voice. They both turned, but instead of jumping apart guiltily they held their pose, refusing to give up their moment. Niki had an eyebrow raised in question-clearly wanting to ask them what the hell they were doing but she'd been separated from her son enough to know how they both felt.

"It's motherly intuition" she said, coming closer to look at the new baby, "don't question it." Claire wouldn't let go of Hally but Niki came close enough to get a good look.

"Well I won't say this is a child who will have conventional parents-in any sense of the word-but she sure is cute."

"Holy Crap!" Parkman came huffing and puffing down the stairs and onto the warehouse floor, "who do these kids belong to?"

"I don't know" Peter's voice was grim again but not nearly as stern as before, "but we can't stick around to find out. They want our daughter and they can't find her. We need to run."

"Wait!" Nathan came down the stairs and ran toward them, an expression on his face that Claire had never seen before. It took her a minute to work out what it was-fear. He came closer, weaving through the maze of babies. "Let me see my granddaughter first."

"She's your niece." Peter said.

"Whatever." Nathan looked mildly mesmerized as Claire reluctantly released her daughter and put the little girl into his arm. With the air of a man practiced with holding babies he cradled her against him.

Claire bit her lip and shared a look with Peter. Just like she was the mind reader she knew what he was thinking-this is what they would be giving up. Every family member except each other.

_It'll be enough for me. Is it enough for you? _

Claire's eyes widened as she realized she was actually hearing Peter's thoughts. She took a second and closed her eyes, exploring this new link. Like wandering through a library she saw fears, doubts and ultimately an abiding love and conviction that what they were about to do was completely the right thing.

_It's enough for me_. She thought back. _It always will be._

She let her hand drop to her side and Peter picked it up, slowly sliding every finger between hers until they were completely intertwined. She squeezed his hand gently, letting the pressure in her fingers act as the promise they both knew they were making.

They were in the warehouse maybe for another five minutes, planning out what to do next. Nathan didn't like what he was told to do, but agreed it was the best thing for this new, tiny person he had know so briefly but already loved. Parkman agreed to help with the police reports and make sure all the babies got back to their parents and Niki and DL said they could set up the means of permanent escape.

They got goodbye hugs from everyone, dictated messages to be given to absent friends and family and then they were gone.

For good this time.

……..

Peter didn't think it was such a good idea, but on the way back to Portland they stopped off at Claire's parents-adopted or not they would always be her real parents to her-to show them the baby.

They didn't stay long. Peter didn't feel they could risk it. He told Claire this silently, testing this new means of communication, born by natural advancement of Parkman's power or emotional closeness he had no idea and she agreed.

Crying a little Claire told her father the plan. He agreed with them and reassured Claire that he would tell her mother and brother when everything was safe again.

They spent a quick minute at the house they had believed would be their home forever, gathering some clothing food, money-new sets of identification that had been prepared in case of something like this.

Before disappearing off the face of the earth they stopped in Vegas and got married-for real this time-by a minister wearing a superman costume. It seemed only appropriate.

………

The next day on CNN there was a report that shocked the country. It spoke of a baby smuggling ring that been broken up the day before- almost five hundred kidnapped children were returned to their parents and five people-one of whom has posed as a Macy's salesgirl-were going to jail.

Two days later there was a fatal car accident on a remote road in upstate New York. Both Claire Bennett and her uncle Peter Petrelli were presumed dead, their bodies haven been burned to ash by the heat of the explosion. Matt Parkman was the lead investigator at the scene in spite of the fact that it was out of his jurisdiction-the Petrelli's had asked him as a family friend and all state agencies in New York knew to jump when the Petrelli's said so.

The story was put out that Peter had been retrieving his niece from boarding school when the crash occurred. The memorial service was attended by hundreds and televised.

…….

The End

A/N: Ok people, only the epilog is next. I really want to reach 100+ reviews for this so please review!


	12. Epilog

**Author's Note: **Well here it is, the very last chapter of the Trinity Saga. You know, this is the first story I've finished in about ten years and is somewhat of a land mark to me. As with anything you've invested a lot of time with this story has become very near and dear to my heart-sort of like my own baby. So please forgive the sentimental drivel.

I want to thank everyone who ever reviewed this story and especially those who reviewed on a consistent basis (you know who you are)-there would have been no story if not for you. I realize this is starting to sound like an awards speech, but I am so grateful to so many people-first my laptop, who I realize is not a person but I couldn't have done this without, my coffee maker, again, not a person, for giving me the steam for ate night writing bursts, all of my readers who never did review but were logged by the website as hits for giving me faith that this story was at least semi-popular (and, by reading the sex scene chapter more than any other but the first, giving me confidence in my writing de amore), my professors, for giving me homework I so desperately wanted to avoid and of course for providing a medium in which to post my little story.

I have more to write and who knows-maybe there's a sequel in the works. I think I'll leave that up to my reviewers-tell me what you want and I'll do my very best to give it to you.

Without further ado-the very last words you will ever read posted under this title-I give you……..

**Trinity**

**Epilog **

The day of the funeral Noah told his wife and son that Claire wasn't dead, but in hiding. He wasn't able to tell them from who, or where (he didn't even know that)-but this was a family used to secrets. Sandra spent hours a day for weeks afterward sitting in Claire's room going through her clothing, her teddy-bears, anything she had ever touched or loved. Lyle retreated into a world of his own and Noah started to worry about statistics on school shootings and teen drug use. More than ever the Bennett family was falling apart.

But they were all safe. And that was what mattered most.

Wasn't it?

He kept telling himself it was.

Things never really got back to normal but they got busy enough that things did get better.

A year and a half later they were forced to move again to a place where no one around them knew that the Bennett's-only they were the Bakers this time-had ever had a daughter.

………

Strangely enough the "death" of his brother and daughter in a fiery explosion of a car crash had been good for Nathan, politically speaking.

Personally it seemed to have ruined him. After his brother and daughter disappeared with his granddaughter (or niece) Nathan took up drinking-a lot of drinking. Luckily he was a Petrelli and thus had a long family history of hiding whatever is wrong with you so he was a functional alcoholic, completely able to act as a congressman for the great state of New York. Every political expert agreed that he would go down in history as one of the greatest members of congress and had a great chance at running for the white house in a few years.

He was brought out of his funk roughly a year later when he and Heidi had their third child. It was a girl and though he had almost dreaded the delivery of the child because anything reminding him of Claire was too painful, the day she was born was like a new beginning. They christened her Penelope Catherine, her initials an homage to her uncle and sister, who in all likelihood she would never meet.

……….

Angela Petrelli may have been willing to let her youngest son blow up-and take half of New York with him-but she hadn't been lying to him when she told him he was her favorite son.

She spent a long time after the joint funeral grieving-even though she well aware that Peter and Claire were alive. For a long time the people around her feared she might die from grief-but Angela Petrelli wasn't built that way. She had loved her husband and his passing as hard as it had been with the shock and sense of betrayal that went with his suicide; she hadn't lost her grip completely.

She did however, resort back to her old habit of shoplifting for a short time and was arrested on three occasions for stealing a pack of cigarettes, an ear of corn and a pearl necklace. Needless to say no charges where ever filed against her.

She got away with stealing a potato, a package of men's socks in Peter's size, a teddy bear and a baby rattle. The potato she cut into French fries and cooked in the middle of the night-it was a food both Claire and Peter had enjoyed even though she considered it a low class type of cuisine. The socks and teddy bear went into her closet and occasionally she took them out and looked at them. The rattle was given to Penelope Catherine.

With the birth of her second granddaughter she became softer, more maternal. But there were still days when she locked herself in her room and sat for hours, holding Peter's socks and Claire's teddy bear.

……..

Niki and DL received the shock of their lives when after all the babies had been DNA matched to parents across the country, some on Mohinder's list, others not, one child had a DNA profile which showed Niki to be it's biological mother. From its age they assumed that her eggs had been harvested when she had been sedated in jail after confessing to murdering DL's crew.

They could never identify it's biological father but after a period of adjustment, DL was happy to take on the job. Micha was a little wary of having a baby sister but he adjusted. They named the child for Niki's dead sister and worse half. Niki had an extremely difficult time bonding with the baby and for a very long time did not view the child as hers in any way. Oddly enough, Jessica when she did appear, (which was less and less these days) was completely enchanted with the baby girl and obsessed with her welfare. Eventual she confronted Niki and forced her to see why she wasn't bonding with little Jess. Things got better after that.

Eventually Jess developed a unique ability-to manipulate the molecules of one object so that it mimicked another. Early in her life she was able to turn pencils into stuffed animals, vegetables into candy.

Her parents dreaded what would happen when she grew up.

………..

Molly, Matt and Mohinder eventually adjusted into a perfect family unit. Though through her whole life Molly would suffer taunts of "Molly has two daddies!" it didn't seem to bother her. Each man had, in his own way, saver her and changed her life for the better. Both men had made it their mission to keep this little girl safe from those who would harm her, use her, and if that made their lives with the opposite sex suffer they didn't care that much. She came to be the only girl they really cared about.

Eventually Molly would get t-shirts made which had three stylized super-hero M's on them as a father's day joke. Mohinder and Matt refused to wear the shirts- unless they were asleep.

…….

When they left the old Victorian where they had been so happy, so briefly, Peter took one of the little computer chips that had been in their spinal cords for study. He deactivated it so it could no longer be used for tracking them.

It took weeks to finally figure out every little thing the chip had been programmed to. It was encrypted in ways he could only imagine would require, without his ability borrowed from Micha, the smartest minds in the world and years to make legible.

What he found inside the chip shocked and almost broke them. The dreams they had, the dreams that were exactly the same, were a product of the chips primary function-to make sure that the pregnant subject was healthy and would not miscarry. Apparently sexual health played in a great deal into the success of the product of the experiment.

The chips had been designed to produce a pheromone signature that was only noticeable by the brain of the person wearing the other chip. They could also alter a person's brain chemistry to make them perfect happy-a fail safe against suicide. This was information that Peter would have kept from Claire, or at least try to break tactfully, but they were testing the limits of their new link and she had been piggybacking on his thoughts, following his exploration of the chips.

When he discovered what the chips were meant to do Peter had felt the pain and doubt coming from Claire's thoughts. Her face was white and when he reached out for her she staggered backwards, banging into the wall of the flea bag hotel where they were staying.

"Claire, Claire listen to me" he said, completely forgetting he was supposed to call her Jane, "this doesn't matter. This isn't real."

"No" she shook her head, refusing to look at him, "it was a lie. It was a lie and we didn't know it."

"That's not true!" He was angry she could dismiss all they had so easily but Hally was sleeping in the other room and the walls were thin so he had to keep his voice down. "I love you, you love me. So we got a little help in the beginning, so what? We needed a push anyway."

"A push? A push!" Claire's voice was slightly hysterical but still low in volume, "we had more than that! We were only happy because they decided the baby would healthier if we were happy! We were so rapped up in each other because our brains were being messed with! Every emotion we've had for the past nine months has been chemically induced!"

"No." Peter shook his head in denial. He tried to sneak into her thoughts and tell her without words that they were _real_ but she was blocking him somehow. "I've been in love with you since….I don't even know how long now. But much longer than nine months!"

"I'd really like to believe that" Claire said, and her voice was so sad it broke his heart, "But right now I just can't."

"Claire." He moved closer, grabbed her hands in his. "Do you remember when you first heard my thoughts, when we got married? That was after the chips were gone-all of that was real."

Claire looked up at him, her now red hair falling in her eyes. "Do you really mean that?"

"Of course I do" Peter gently touched her hair, smoothing it down. "I don't need a chemical alteration in my brain to find you attractive-or to be happy with you. Don't you remember what we said, the day Hally was born? That this was enough for us, forever. That was hours after all of this was out of our systems."

"Right. Right." Claire bit her lip then pulled him into a hug. "I'm sorry. I feel so stupid." She whispered into his ear. "Sometimes I think all of this is a dream and I'm going to wake up any minute."

Echoing in his head were the words she wouldn't dare say out loud.

_Then I'd lose you, lose Hally. I couldn't live through that._

"I know." Peter pulled her closer and moved away from the wall, sinking into a chair and taking her with him. "but it's not a dream. And you're never going to lose us." He brushed her hair out of her eyes. "You know I was thinking-they'll never look for us back in Portland. We probably can't have the same house or the same jobs, but we could go back."

Claire looked around their hotel room. Dirty sheets and curtains-and carpet. Water stained ceiling. It was a dump. "Anything" she said, winding her arms around Peter's neck, adjusting her legs so she was straddling him, "would be better than this."

Peter smiled and kissed her neck. "And it's not like the sex has gotten worse since the chips are gone" he whispered in her ear, "at least I don't think it has. We may need to experiment some more."

"Excellent idea Dr. Peter" Claire whispered back, reaching for his pants and unzipping them, "we have about an hour before Hally wakes up."

Like all new parents, they had learned not to waste time.

………

They year that Hally turned seven, in midsummer, Peter announced a surprise road trip through the Columbia River Gorge. Claire had to take a day off work, which wasn't the best idea now that she had about two months before she had to go on maternity leave, but she had been waiting for this day for a long time, ever since a conversation she and Peter had had seven years ago.

They had been lying in bed, just having made up after she freaked out about what was inside the chips. Claire figured they had about ten minutes before Hally woke up screaming for lunch.

"Hey Peter?" She could tell he was almost asleep and ruffled a hand through his hair-which was nice and long and falling over his eyes just the way she liked it-to wake him up.

"Hum?" Peter wrapped an arm around Claire and pulled her closer. "Do we need to get up yet?"

"Not quite" She said, lightly stroking his closed eyelids, his lips. She burst out laughing when he nipped one of her fingers and then winced; expecting a cry from the neighboring room but none came. "I have a question for you."

"Shoot." He said, opening his eyes.

"You're so sure that this is all real-really lasting" she said, unsure of how to word her query, not wanting him to think she had sipped back in to doubting what they had, "did you see something-in the future? When you were there?"

Peter's eyes focused suddenly and through her brain whispered the words: _trust your instincts._

And then he told her.

And now seven years later it was finally time. She had smiled they whole ride up in the gorge in spite of the brief discomfort that the fiercely kicking new baby seemed determined to cause her.

"Are we going to the falls?" Hally asked from the back seat, her two black/brown pigtails swinging in her face.

"Not this trip honey" Peter said, looking in the rear view mirror at her, "we have something really important to do."

"I want to see the falls" Hally pouted, sticking out her lower lip. It was a sight that never failed to make Claire laugh, which always offended Hally to some extent.

"Maybe on the way back." Peter capitulated as they pulled into the grave parking lot at the Maryhill Stonehenge reproduction.

Hally jumped out of the car and went on at a run toward Stonehenge, and the cliffs edge. Peter grabbed Claire's hand and pulled her out of the car. The slight wind ruffled her short blond curls in front of her face.

"Hally slow down!" Claire yelled.

Peter just laughed, which annoyed her a little.

"I don't know why you think it's so funny she's a brat" she said.

"It's a stage" Peter said with a level of certainty that only came from a father completely convinced his little girl was perfect, "she'll grow out of it." He wrapped an arm around her waist resting his hand on her bump and the baby beneath.

"You're just saying that because she's a daddy's girl" Claire said, wrapping both her arms around Peter's waist, "but this one is a boy, I know it, and he'll be all mine." Once again Peter was her doctor-only now he was a doctor-and she'd opted out of the ultrasound because she wanted this one to be a surprise. But she had a feeling.

She stretched up and kissed him, a long kiss born of years of practice. Her silver wedding band, the same cheap ring they'd got in Vegas but she didn't have the heart to part with (it had a superman symbol engraved in the inside) flashed in the sun.

The kiss was broken up by Hally who seeing the gesture of affection ran back to her parents. "Mommy, Daddy, I want kisses too!"

Claire laughed and picked her up, knowing it would be the last time for a while she had a waist enough to do so. She gave Hally a big, smothering kiss and Peter did the same.

Then he whispered in her ear, "it's time" he said.

She kissed his cheek. "Good luck. Don't mess with our past. It was pretty great."

Peter smiled at her, that dreamy, I-love-you-so-much-smile that she was only one to ever see. "It was pretty great wasn't it?"

He walked off toward the edge of the cliff, to a destination she couldn't follow.

She sent him a thought before he was too busy ensuring their past to hear her.

_And it's only going to get better!_

………

On their way home they passed a giant catholic church. A well placed red light had them stopping right in front on it. For a moment Peter stared at the building, remembering his long childhood and the last time he had been in a church.

Claire nudged him. "You got something to confess?" She asked.

Peter laughed suddenly, so loudly he woke up Hally who had been dozing in the back seat. "Who me?" he asked, "Not a thing."

And so they drove on, enjoying their last few days as a trinity.

……

**The End (and this time I mean it!)**

**A/N: **All right. I was a little disappointed with how the last chapter came out after so much time not writing but I really do like the epilog. I know it's just full of surprises but I hope you liked it too. Review review review!

Just one little toot of my own horn-as this is now complete would whoever runs any one of the multiple the Peter/ Claire C2s like to include my story with your collection?

CC don't worry-your masquerade story is coming. By the way the Chrysalis contest is still open-tell me what now canceled sci-fi show that agency is from and you too can win a one chapter story designed and written by me with a theme near and dear to your heart!


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